Charmed
by A Pirate By Any Other Name
Summary: Having woken up from their dream world, Hermione and Draco now face mixed feelings about each other. How will they deal with these new feelings? Is it love or friendship? And how on earth will they ever tell their friends? Sequel to Asphodel. Dramione. AU, set in their fifth year.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note:** At long last, I have begun the sequel to my story "Asphodel." I'm sorry to keep you all waiting so long! I have received loads of support and compliments for Asphodel, and I've made a number of new friends through the reviews. This story will not be long, but I hope it will serve as a satisfying afterward to my last story! Without further ado, please read and enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Hermione didn't want to sleep. "I've slept for two weeks," she argued when her roommates, Parvati and Lavender urged her to go to bed. "I've only just woken up this morning. I don't want to sleep anymore."

"That doesn't mean you don't need to," argued Parvati in what she thought was a reasonable tone.

Hermione shook her head. _They don't understand. I can't go back to sleep. What if I dream about Draco again? What if I dream __**with **__Draco again?_ Hermione shook her head. Her rational mind was telling her she was being ridiculous, that her connection with Draco was broken after the effects of the potion had worn off, but her heart was telling her something else.

All her thoughts about Draco were confused now. _And the worst bit is I actually WANT to dream about him…and our kisses._ Hermione dragged her hands down her face. _Harry and Ron would never understand._ She felt a twinge in her stomach when she thought of Ron. It felt rather like betrayal. "I've got loads of homework to catch up on," she said finally.

Both Parvati and Lavender sighed dramatically and shrugged their shoulders in defeat. "We'll leave you to it then…unless you want to talk about your dream," Lavender said coyly, a look of bright interest on her face. Hermione felt a sinking in her stomach. _This is not good._

"Oh yes, if you're not going to sleep, why not tell us what you dreamed about? It must have been good, since you and Malfoy didn't wake up for so long," Parvati said eagerly, sitting up on her bed in rapt attention.

Hermione looked nervously between Parvati and Lavender. She wasn't ready to tell anyone about her dream yet, but she also didn't want people gossiping about it if she didn't say anything. And knowing these two, they would spread some kind of rumor depending on what she did or didn't tell them. She cast her thoughts about wildly, trying to think of something to say. Naturally her know-it-all-self kicked in to correct them. "What I dreamt about had nothing whatsoever to do with how long I was sleep," she said in her teaching voice, which was usually reserved for Harry and Ron. "Draco and I simply got hit with the heaviest dose of potion."

Hermione knew she had said something wrong the moment the words left her mouth. Parvati and Lavender picked it up at once. "Since when do you call him Draco?" Lavender asked.

Hermione frowned. "It's his name isn't it? I can call the ferret whatever I want," she said defensively. _Oh Merlin, how could I have slipped up like that so easily?_

Lavender frowned in return. "Right," she said suspiciously. Internally Hermione cursed herself. Lavender may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but she certainly understood social cues! _I've got to be more careful._

"Yes, well, whatever. You were still out the longest," Parvati said, wanting to move on. "Were you dreaming the whole time?"

_Finally, a safe question._ "Yes," said Hermione. Then, since she knew they wouldn't rest until they had rung every little detail out of her, she added, "Though it didn't feel very long to me. I only spent about two days in my dream world."

"So? What happened?" Parvati pressed.

Hermione pursed her lips. _Okay, quick thinking here, Hermione. Why not the truth? Well, not all of the truth, but some of it can't hurt…_ She took a deep breath. "I dreamt that the War with You-Know-Who was finally over. I was graduated from Hogwarts and living out in the world on my own. And I was a famous author of mystery novels, of all things, though I did have some academic works too. I was shopping in Diagon Alley and people stopped me in the street to ask about my new book. It was strange, because at first I didn't know what was going on," Hermione said, feeling more confident as she went on. She wasn't exactly telling any lies, just omitting a few details.

Lavender and Parvati rolled their eyes. "You would dream about books," Lavender said. "But being famous isn't so bad. At least you weren't like Pansy-she dreamt that she was a famous supermodel for Witch Weekly, and you should have heard her going on when she woke up. I was there, having just woken up from my own dream and it took Pansy _ages_ to fully wake up. She kept yelling for her assistant Pierre, whoever that was, and screaming at Madame Pomfrey." She looked her at Parvati. "What was it she said?"

Parvati stood up and mimed fanning her face with her hand. "I'm Pansy Parkinson and I will not be treated this way! Where are my silks? I specifically asked for silk sheets! And where the bloody hell am I? I am supposed to be in Paris in an hour! If I am late I'll have you all fired and blacklisted for the rest of your miserable, ugly lives!" she shrieked in a high-pitched voice. Both she and Lavender collapsed into giggles.

Hermione gave a small smile. She thought about the Pansy in her dream world. Draco had been shocked to find her cooking the muggle way and saying nice things about the resident know-it-all. Hermione laughed. She knew which Pansy she preferred.

As their laughter died down, Parvati launched back into their interrogation. "So, is that it? Weren't you married? Or at least, did you have a boyfriend?"

Hermione froze. "I-I was, I was…" _What can I say?_ "I was married," she blurted out. _Stupid, stupid, stupid, Hermione!_

Both Lavender and Parvati gasped and leaned forward eagerly. "Really? To who? Was he famous too? Handsome? Someone we know?"

_I'm in for it now._ "Oh, he was a dream guy," Hermione said, trying to say it casually. "Um, yeah, he was pretty well known, very rich, and um…really handsome." She trailed off. She thought about Draco and their date, how gentlemanly he was, and their daughters. Her hands went to her stomach for a moment as she thought about their baby. Sure, it had been a horrible shock to wake up married to Draco Malfoy, but really, she couldn't have asked for a better life. Hermione turned and smiled at Lavender and Parvati. "He was perfect," she said.

* * *

Draco didn't want to sleep. "I'm not bloody tired," he snapped after Crabbe asked him for the tenth time if he was going to go to bed soon. "Just go to bed Crabbe," Draco said angrily. "All I've done for two weeks is sleep and I don't plan on doing any more of it any time soon."

About that time Pansy floated into the common room. "But Draco," she said in a pouty voice, "if you don't go to sleep you'll be too tired to take me to Hogsmeade tomorrow!"

Draco rolled his eyes. _Because that would be so tragic_, he thought. "Pansy, I thought I told you I wasn't going to Hogsmeade tomorrow. The Professors are having me stay behind and catch up on my homework."

"But Draco," who will I go with?" she whined. Draco rubbed his temples. Suddenly he remembered Dream-Pansy, who was all smiles and hard work. Right now, he would prefer that Pansy. Then an idea struck him.

"Go with Nott," Draco said, feeling pleased with himself. It worked in the dream, why not in the real world? Besides, if Pansy and Nott could work, maybe there was a chance other parts of his dream could work… Draco shook his head. _What am I thinking?_

"Theodore?" asked Pansy doubtfully.

"Yes. You'll have just as much fun with him as me. Go," Draco said, thoroughly annoyed by everyone, especially Pansy at the moment. He had important things to think about. He didn't bother hiding his sigh of relief when Pansy turned and flounced away. _What on earth ever possessed me into thinking going out with her was a good idea?_

"So, you heading up to the dorm soon?" asked Crabbe.

Draco took a breath. "Crabbe, if you ask me that again I swear I will hex you into next week. No, I will not be coming up to the dorm any time soon. Now get out!"

Crabbe grunted and left, mumbling something under his breath. Draco threw a stinging hex his way and smirked as it hit his left elbow. Crabbe turned around and glared, but didn't say anything when he saw Draco twirling his wand in his hand. Draco chuckled_. I've still got it._

His smirk faded as he was left to continue his thoughts, the thoughts that were keeping him awake. He couldn't go to sleep_. What if he dreamed about her again? What if he fell right back into that happy little world? What if he wanted to?_

The echoes of his dream-daughters' laughter haunted his memory for a moment and he allowed himself a small smile. How nice it would be to have a Malfoy daughter. His mother would certainly love it. He was so caught up in his musings that he didn't realize Blaise had joined him by the fire. He didn't notice anything until Blaise cleared his throat and said, "So Draco, what dream had you so enraptured that you had to miss two weeks of class for it?"

Draco jumped. "Shut up Blaise, you know it wasn't like that."

Blaise chuckled. "No need to get defensive. So, who was she?"

Draco was shocked. _How can he know?_ "What?"

Blaise smiled again. "Don't try to deny it. You dreamed about a girl. Why else would you be moping about? So, who was she?" Blaise raised an eyebrow and looked conspiratorially at Draco. He knew he had him cornered.

Draco swallowed. "No one of importance," she said coolly.

Blaise rolled his eyes. "Come on, mate, whoever she was, I can tell she was good, so just fess up already. Come on, share!" he insisted.

Draco glared at him and muttered under his breath. _What can it hurt? No one says I have to tell the whole truth._ "I dreamed I was finished with Hogwarts and I was married," he said loftily. He decided to leave out any mention of the War or his father. _Best not get political. You never know how that might be used against me later._

Blaise threw him a look. "A bit more than that, mate," he said sarcastically. "You trying to tell me you spent two weeks a homebody with a pretty wife?" Draco raised an eyebrow. _So what if I did?_ Suddenly Blaise smiled. "Unless it was the honeymoon," he said, waggling his eyebrows.

Draco scowled. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Blaise." _Not that I would have minded a honeymoon__—__wait, a honeymoon with Hermione? Get a grip Draco!_

Blaise laughed. "Fine then, if you weren't locked in the bedroom, what were you doing?"

Draco shrugged. He thought about the past two days, or weeks, as he found out today. He thought about their picnic and the Ministry dinner. "We ate fine meals, went to parties, and otherwise enjoyed living on the top. Nothing much different than I do now."

Blaise snorted. "Except this time you had a pretty girl on your arm. A _wife._ What was she like? Anyone we know?"

A smile played about Draco's lips. _Wouldn't you like to know. And there's no reason why I shouldn't elaborate._ "She was gorgeous. Smart and funny too." His smile grew as he thought about how Hermione had paraded around the Manor like she owned it, which he guessed, she sort of had. His eyes gleamed and he gave Blaise his signature smirk. "And she was every inch a Malfoy."


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note:** Wow! I've already got some great response for Chapter One of "Charmed." I'm so glad everyone's enjoying it. Thanks for the reviews, alerts, and favorites!

**(2)** Thank you to **Moonlight Calls**, who pointed out some errors in this chapter. Hopefully I have fixed them!

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**Chapter 2**

"_Mummy! Mummy!" shrieked Naomi as she ran down the long hallway to her bedroom. Evanna followed close behind, laughing and screaming along with her sister. _

"_I'm going to get you!" growled Draco in a mock-scary voice. He ran behind them, his arms and hands outstretched. "I'm getting closer..."_

_Hermione turned around in the doorway of Naomi's room just in time to see a head of brown curls fly past her and hide behind her legs. Evanna, blonde curls flying, followed suit, squealing at the top of her lungs. "Woah," she laughed, grabbing the door frame with one hand and sliding the other over her slightly bulging stomach. "Easy there, girls. Who's coming to get you?"_

_Naomi looked up at her mother with wide, laughing eyes. "Daddy is," she said as gravely as she could manage in her breathless voice. Evanna just scrunched up her nose, smiled and buried her head in the back of Hermione's knees._

_Suddenly, from the end of the hall, Hermione and the girls heard a slow, thumping sound. It was the sound of slow, heavy footsteps. From behind her legs, the girls giggled. "I'm coming...to get...you!" said Draco in a low voice. Again the girls giggled. Hermione smiled._

"_You can't catch us Daddy!" shouted Naomi, poking her head out from behind her mother's legs and sticking her chin defiantly in the air._

_Draco ran heavily up the hallway. "I'm not...your daddy...ANYMORE!" he roared and ran straight at Hermione and the little girls hiding behind her. Naomi and Evanna shrieked with laughter and grabbed at Hermione's nightgown. _

_Hermione laughed. "Run girls!" she cried. They fled from their spot behind Hermione and ran to the bed laughing. Draco paused at the door to give Hermione a quick peck on the cheek before entering the room, letting out another roar as he did so._

"_I've got you now!" he roared and finally caught the girls, tickling them as they lay laughing and kicking on the bed. Finally Draco gave way to laughter too and he fell back onto the bed, hugging both girls close to him. "Okay, okay, Daddy can't take any more," he wheezed. Naomi and Evanna giggled and burrowed into either side of him. Draco stuck his head up from the bed. "Oi! Mummy! Get over here and join us, and bring Junior with you."_

"_Alright," Hermione said with a laugh. "But if anyone tickles me, they'll be sorry."_

_Draco gave her an innocent smile. "I wouldn't dream of it, dear."_

Hermione woke with a gasp and her head fell to the desk in front of her. For all her determination not to fall asleep, Hermione had drifted off, head in her hands at her desk, with last week's Transfiguration essay half finished before her. She squinted against the pale morning light. _What time is it?_ she wondered.

The common room around her was deserted; the fire was just a few dull orange coals in the fireplace and the light streaming in through the windows was pale and cold. _Looks like it's still early yet_, Hermione thought. With a yawn, she stood up and stretched. _How could I have fallen asleep? I knew I would dream about him again…_

Try as she might, Hermione could not muster up any regret for having dreamed about Draco again. _He was so sweet, playing with our girls like that. If only it were real…_ Hermione shook herself. "Enough of that," she told herself sternly. _I'm only fifteen for goodness sake! The War has barely even started. I haven't even taken my O.W.L.s yet! This is not a time to be thinking about marriage. Especially not with Draco Malfoy._

Hermione looked down at her rumpled robes from yesterday. "I'd best shower and change before breakfast, or they'll be all kinds of questions for me," she reasoned quietly to herself. Then, realizing she was talking aloud to herself, shook her head again and hurried up to her dormitory to get fresh clothes.

After managing to snag her clothes and other necessities from her dormitory without waking the nosey duo of Lavender and Parvati, Hermione made her way to the girls' bathroom to take a nice hot shower. _Thank goodness for Saturdays_, she thought to herself_. I can have the bathroom to myself while everyone else has a lie-in._

The hot water felt good against her skin and worked wonders for waking her up. She hopped out of the shower, dressed for the day, and expertly pulled her still damp hair back into a French braid. _No bushiness today._ She smiled at herself in the mirror as she checked over her appearance. _Wait, why am I taking so long to get ready? All I'm doing today is catching up on schoolwork with—_

Hermione froze. All she was doing today was catching up on schoolwork. With _Draco_. Immediately her cheeks heated up as she recalled the flirtatious conversation between herself and Draco the day before. _"__I'll ask McGonagall to give __both __of us the afternoon off. Since you're so keen to spend time with me, you can work on your missed work with me. We'll help each other. I believe you've already made me that offer anyway, isn't that right?"_ Hermione groaned and put her head in her hands. What had she been thinking? And that hadn't even been the worst of it. They had been blatantly flirting in front of Professor Dumbledore, Snape, and Madam Pomfrey. _Merlin._

Her cheeks still flaming and her thoughts buzzing around in her head like a swarm of angry bees, Hermione scurried back to the common room, gathered up her books and fled towards the Great Hall. By this time there were a few students beginning to trickle down out of their dormitories and into the common room, but none of them paid Hermione any mind, to her relief.

She hurried to the Great Hall, barely pausing even to say good morning to Nearly Headless Nick on her way down. When she arrived in the Hall, she let out a grateful sigh when she saw only a handful of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students scattered about at their tables. Briskly she set herself up at her usual spot at Gryffindor table, using a tea mug to prop up her Ancient Runes book, grabbed a piece of toast and jam, and settled into looking as absorbed as possible in her book. _At least I don't have to worry about Harry and Ron this morning_, she thought to herself. The boys never woke up early on Saturdays.

After fearfully glancing up at the door every few minutes, Hermione started to relax. _Maybe Draco will sleep in too. Or maybe he doesn't eat breakfast on weekends. _ Slowly she allowed herself to sink deeper into her Ancient Runes book. Minutes passed and Hermione gradually forgot about her surroundings. She was perfectly content, munching on her toast and deciphering runes until, as she looked up to grab another piece of toast, she caught sight of a familiar blond figure watching her. _Bloody hell._

* * *

Draco swaggered into the Great Hall as usual, nicking a blueberry muffin from a Hufflepuff third year as he did so. As he walked, his eyes involuntarily sought out the resident know-it-all, who was sitting alone at the Gryffindor table, nose buried deep in a large book. Draco rolled his eyes. _Does she ever stop?_ He watched her for another minute or so, wondering how she could appear so calm. _Surely she hasn't forgotten about what happened yesterday, right?_

As he watched her, Draco felt his hands start to feel clammy and he rubbed them on his robes. _This should not be happening. I will not fall for the bushy-haired know-it-all! _Never mind that her hair was not the least bit bushy today, pulled back in a neat braid. Draco, of course, _hadn't_ noticed. He felt furious with himself. _That's not what you were saying last night_, his mind whispered traitorously. _But that was different. I was still delirious from the potion_, he argued with himself. _If that's what you want to believe_, his mind hissed back.

_Great, now I'm arguing with myself. Now I'm really losing it._ Draco frowned and focused back on Hermione. He nearly jumped when he realized she was staring back. _Sweet Merlin!_ Draco looked away, making sure to smirk as he did so. He couldn't have her thinking he was staring at her because he _wanted_ to. Certainly not.

Draco strode quickly over to the Slytherin table and sat down. After grabbing an apple, he covertly glanced over at Hermione, who was still staring at him. She started a bit when she saw him looking back, and Draco smirked. _Maybe she's not as calm as she appears after all. He_ took a bit of his apple and chewed it slowly, sneaking glances at Hermione every few seconds. It seemed the longer he was there, the more agitated Hemrione became. She shuffled her papers and flipped through the pages of her large book restlessly. _What is she doing?_

He was interrupted in his study of Hermione's agitation by Pansy, who leaned over the table in front of him in what he was sure she thought was a sexy manner. "Theo said he would take me to Hogsmeade," she announced, as if he had no idea this could happen. "So I won't need _you _today, _Draco_."

Draco looked up at her, supremely annoyed. He was on the brink of telling her he couldn't care less and why she thought he wouldn't know this already when it was _his_ idea for her to go with Nott in the first place was beyond him, when he realized something. _Good gods, is Pansy trying to me __**jealous**__?_ She looked very pleased with herself as she saw Draco's annoyed and surprised face. _Sweet Merlin, she is_, Draco thought.

Immediately he wiped his face of all emotion. "Well I don't see why that should matter to me," he said haughtily. "After all, _I told you_ I wouldn't be going to Hogsmeade today; I have work to do." Draco smirked as Pansy's face fell a bit. _You didn't expect me to be upset, did you? _

Pansy huffed and her face soured, making her look even more like the pug everyone always said she was. "Oh that's right," Pansy spat. "You have to stay here and do homework with the bushy-haired mudblood freak!"

Draco's eyes darkened. "Watch your tongue, Parkinson!" he snapped. Pansy looked shocked. Draco also looked shocked for a fraction of a second, then slipped back into his mask of anger. _What on earth am I thinking? I can't slip up like that!_ He sneered. "As if Professor Snape would make me work with that know-it-all! I can do my own homework, thanks. I'm not like Potty and Weasel needing her to do my work for me." Pansy smirked, and out of habit, Draco felt himself going on. "Besides, it's not like her help would gain her anything, like it does with Potty and Weasel." He mimicked her high-pitched voice. _"Oh yes, of course, Harry, I'll write your potions essay. Would you like me to lick your shoes too? And oh Ronald, I'll do your transfiguration essay if you'll just look at me once today!"_

Pansy shrieked with laughter, but Draco didn't join in. For some reason, the words had left a bitter taste in his mouth and Pansy's laughter jarred his ears. He glanced around Pansy to look for Hermione, but she was gone. He looked up just in time to see her disappear through the Great Hall doors. _Why do I feel so guilty? It's not like she heard any of it. _But still Draco felt a strange uneasiness for this afternoon. He tried to tell himself he was just tired. After all, he hadn't slept a wink last night; too worried about what he might see when he closed his eyes. And he was just going to the library to catch up on homework. _It's only studying, right?_


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note:** Still getting lots of positive feedback so far! Thank you to all who reviewed, favorited, and added this story to your alert list!

* * *

**Chapter 3**

When Hermione reached the Gryffindor common room, she threw herself into one of the cushy chairs by the fire with a huff. _What's wrong with me? I can't even handle seeing Draco at breakfast!_ She stared moodily at her Ancient Runes book, as if it were its fault she lost her cool in the Great Hall. _More like that wretchedly wonderful dream I had last night. _Hermione sighed, and her hand went up to spot on her cheek where the dream-Draco had placed a kiss_. It's pointless to dwell on this_, she tried to tell herself, but she couldn't help it. _Not when I have to spend the day with him!_

"Are you alright, Hermione?" She jumped as Harry appeared beside her, still dressed in his pajamas, his hair as untidy as ever. Mutely, she nodded. Once she had gotten over his sudden appearance, Hermione couldn't help but smile a bit at the sight of him. The shock of learning he had died in her dream world still lingered in the back of her mind, so the sight of him alive and well filled her with happiness.

"I'm fine," she said, ignoring the fact that her voice came out a bit strained. Even the small bit of happiness upon seeing Harry couldn't dispel her anxiety about Draco.

Harry frowned. "You don't look fine, and you don't sound fine either," he stated plainly. "What were you thinking about just now?"

_Draco Malfoy's soft lips on my cheek. His bright smile as he hugged our girls…_ Hermione's lips twitched for a moment, and she sighed. _He's my best friend. I should be able to tell him anything._ She took a breath. "My dream," she said honestly.

Harry's frown deepened. "This it must have been pretty bad," he said. "Because you were grimacing like someone told you you'd be stuck with extra classes with Umbridge for the rest of the year."

Hermione really did grimace then. "Oh please, it wasn't that bad, was it?"

Harry grinned. "Maybe not, but you still looked pretty upset. Was your dream really that bad?"

"No, of course not!" Hermione said, maybe a bit too quickly. She blushed. _I really need to get better at this. _Harry looked confused, so Hermione continued. "Well, some parts were bad," she said softly.

Harry reached over and touched her arm reassuringly. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," he said. Hermione gave him a grateful smile. _He's being so understanding this morning. Maybe I can tell him the truth…_

"I dreamt about the future," she said. "I dreamt the war was over and we had moved on. But there was a memorial dinner for those lost in the war and I…" Hermione stopped for a moment._ Should I really tell him he died in my dream?_ She looked into Harry's bright green eyes, uncertain of how to continue.

"Who died, Hermione?" Harry said inquisitively. Hermione just stared at him. "Oh," said Harry, picking up on what she left unsaid. Impulsively, even though it was Hermione who normally started the hugging, Harry slipped his arms around her.

"I'm not going anywhere any time soon," Harry assured her. Then he frowned. "Unless Umbridge kills me before the year is out. I wasn't killed by her, right?" he said mock anxiously.

"Harry, that's not even funny," Hermione said, but she laughed a little. "And no. It was You-Know-Who that…" she trailed off. This wasn't what she had been thinking about, but the thought of it made her just as anxious if not more than her mixed up feelings about Draco.

"Right. But I took him down with me, right?" Harry said brightly. "I mean, don't tell me everyone became a Death Eater in the future and you were married off to Malfoy or something. I mean, that _would_ be a nightmare, wouldn't it?" Hermione blanched. Harry frowned. "That's not what happened, right?" he said quickly.

"Don't be ridiculous," said Hermione. "I would never become a Death Eater. I would die first."

Harry relaxed. "Yeah, and no way would you marry the ferret," he said.

"Malfoy isn't a Death Eater," Hermione said with a frown. Harry stared at her incredulously._ Uh-oh. I didn't really give anything away there, did I?_

"He's as good as," Harry said darkly.

"Now that's not fair," Hermione admonished. "Just because his whole family has been in Slytherin and his dad worked for You-Know-Who, doesn't mean that-"

"WHAT? Are you mental? Hermione, what's wrong with you?" Harry cried.

"Oi, what's going on here?" came a third voice. Both Hermione and Harry looked up to see Ron yawning widely as he walked down the steps.

Harry jumped up and ran over to him. "Hermione's gone mental," he said. "She's defending Malfoy!"

Ron's eyes widened. "Hermione, what are you thinking? It's Malfoy. He's a Slytherin!"

_I've really done it now_, Hermione thought. "Ron, you don't even know what we're talking about!"

"Don't need to. Harry says you're defending Malfoy. That's all I need to know," Ron said matter-of-factly. "That ferret has hated us from the moment we first came to Hogwarts and done everything he can to make our lives hell. Not to mention he's a no-good, stuck up prick who thinks everyone who isn't pureblood and rich is scum and that he can walk all over them because his Death Eater father has connections at the Ministry. The only thing I don't know is _why_ you're defending this little ferret."

Hermione bristled. "That kind of close-minded thinking is exactly why we're in the midst of a war," she snapped. "It's exactly why the Ministry is interfering at Hogwarts, and it's exactly why so many people join You-Know-Who!"

Both Harry and Ron gaped at Hermione. "What are you talking about?" said Harry a bit angrily. Gone was the understanding boy of this morning. _Oh well. It was good while it lasted._

"Just think about it," said Hermione huffily. "If we actually tried to extend our hand and understanding to more Slytherins like Dra-Malfoy, maybe they would join our side instead of going to the side we automatically push them towards! Being in Slytherin doesn't automatically make you a Death Eater, you know, just like being in Gryffindor doesn't make you brave. Just look at Peter Pettigrew, Harry!" She knew it was a cheap shot, but she had to make them understand if she had any hope of ever being friends with Draco. _That is, if he even wants to be friends_. She frowned as she remembered his sneer at breakfast.

Harry looked thunderous. "That's not the same. The Sorting Hat made a mistake," he bit out.

"Then don't you think it could have made other mistakes?" Hermione said a bit tiredly. Already she felt like she was fighting a losing battle.

"So now you're saying Malfoy should be in Gryffindor? What's wrong with you Hermione?" Harry cried.

Hermione glanced around the common room and was relieved to see it was still empty. That was all she needed: for Lavender and Parvati to walk in while she was defending Malfoy. After her slip up last night…the rumors would be flying if they heard this. "Of course not, Harry. All I'm saying is that we shouldn't immediately write him off as a Death Eater," she said. "We're just kids, Harry. A lot could change before the future gets here." _It already has._

"Hermione," Harry started, but Ron cut him off by slapping a hand to his forehead.

"Oh no, you've gone and made Malfoy your next house-elf crusade, haven't you?" he groaned. "Hermione, Malfoy isn't a house-elf in need of saving. He's a conniving git, plain and simple. Just stick to house-elf rights, okay?"

Hermione was furious. "He's not a new crusade Ron. It's just…"

"Whatever you say, Hermione. Me and Harry are going down to breakfast now, before I waste away from starvation. You coming?" Ron said, completely ignoring that she had been about to say something.

_Ugh! He is so infuriating sometimes!_ "I already went to breakfast," she said snippily.

"Right, well see you later then?" he said, steering Harry back towards their dorm to get dressed.

"No," said Hermione. "You're going to Hogsmeade, remember? And I'm doing my homework. I have loads."

"Oh. Right. Well, good luck with that. Come on Harry!" Ron said, and pulled his stormy roommate out of the common room.

Meanwhile, Hermione seethed silently to herself. _A new crusade indeed. I'll show them!_ She marched up to her dorm, stuffed all her books into her bag until it was full to bursting, and strode out of the common room towards the library. She had work to do.

* * *

Draco sat sullenly at the Slytherin table, munching slowly on his apple and staring at the doors Hermione had left from some minutes ago. He was angry with himself, wondering why he couldn't make things go back to the way they were; insulting Granger and the Wonder Duo without feeling the slightest trace of guilt. _Stupid dream._

Suddenly Draco was hit with a flashback from the last moments of the dream. He and Noami had been whispering at the table and suddenly Naomi said, "Daddy was talking about you!" to Hermione. _That little minx; she was so crafty! She might have looked like Hermione, but that little girl was a Slytherin through and through! _ He snorted. _Hermione wouldn't like that._

In his mind's eye, little Naomi appeared again. This time she was looking at Draco reproachfully.

"_You were talking about Mummy again," she said._

_Draco shifted uncomfortably. "Maybe," he said to the dream-girl._

_Naomi frowned. "Daddy said some very mean things about Mummy," she said._

"_But I didn't mean them," Draco said. "It was just for a laugh."_

"_Being mean isn't funny," Naomi told him. "Being mean hurts. Why would you be mean to Mummy? Don't you love her?"_

Draco faltered. "I…" he started, but he never got to finish because suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder and a loud voice in his ear.

"Oi! Draco! Earth to Draco!"

"What?" snapped Draco, turning towards the owner of the voice. It was Blaise. _Not him again._ "What do you want?"

Blaise grinned. "Only to know why you are so out of it this morning. You've been staring off into space with a blank expression on your face for the past ten minutes."

Draco scowled at his dark-skinned house mate. "No reason at all. I just didn't sleep much last night."

Blaise only grinned wider. "Oh? Thinking about your dream-girl late into the night, were you?"

_Yes._ "Hardly," Draco drawled. "I was merely trying to get a jump on the massive amount of homework I have to finish this weekend."

Blaise snorted, but then said, "Good idea. The less time you have to spend with that mudblood the better. But I still don't see why you don't just get one of the fourth years or fifth year Ravenclaws to do your work for you. I'm sure there are plenty of willing ladies…" He trailed off, leaving his suggestive comment in the air.

Draco shrugged. "I like to do my own work. Granger isn't the only intelligent student in our year, you know."

"Of course," Blaise said smoothly. "Well, have _fun_ today, studying with mudbloods and all."

"Shut up Blaise. I've heard enough," Draco said sharply. Blaise merely raised an eyebrow at Draco's odd behavior and left the table. _Prat_, Draco thought, rolling his eyes as he left. He stared at his half-eaten apple and threw it aside. He didn't have an appetite anymore. _"Daddy said some very mean things about Mummy."_ Naomi's words echoed in his head. _But she didn't hear them_, he tried to reason with himself. It wasn't working.

_I've had enough of this_, Draco thought angrily. He got up from the table and started making his way towards the entrance doors. _Might as well head to the library now. No doubt Hermione is already there, wondering where I am._

As he reached the doors, Draco came face to face with Harry and Ron. Upon seeing him, both boys immediately scowled and glared fiercely at him. _Great, just who I wanted to see. _"Morning, Potter, Weasley," he spat, not really sure why he chose to greet them at all.

Harry and Ron seemed even more upset than usual to see him, Draco noticed. "Malfoy," they spat back, pouring as much venom into his name as possible. For a second, dread filled him. _Hermione didn't tell them about her dream, did she?_ They pushed roughly past him into the Great Hall and Draco turned to watch them go. When they didn't turn back, he allowed himself to relax. If Hermione had told them anything, they would have confronted him, he was sure of it. So whatever it was that was bugging them, it wasn't the dream. He made a mental note to ask Hermione about it later. Maybe he could use against them.

Then he remembered that Hermione probably wouldn't just hand him weapons to use against her best friends. _I'll just have to phrase it differently_, he thought. He glanced back in the Hall and noticed Harry and Ron were still glaring at him. He sneered and rolled his eyes. _Yeah, I'm going to find out what I did…or didn't do today. See if I don't._

With that determined, Draco set off towards the Slytherin common room to get his books. No use wasting any more time. He had a date in the library.


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note:** Another thank you to all who have reviewed and added this story to your favorite and alert lists! And now for the awaited study date, in which both our main characters fight their feelings, flirt, and finally come to an agreement. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Four**

Draco swaggered into the library with his usual arrogant smirk, his books tucked neatly away in his bag on his shoulder. He scanned the room for a head of familiar bushy hair, but the study tables scattered throughout the front of the room were empty save for a few second year Ravenclaws. _Where is she?_ Hermione had left the Great Hall quite a while ago, and Draco was sure she would have come straight here to get started on her homework, if she hadn't already done that last night.

Suddenly Draco was curious as to whether or not Hermione had spent the night restless and awake like he had. Did she spend the night thinking about their dream? _Does she see our girls in her daydreams? _For a fleeting second the image of Naomi's clever smile floated about in his mind, but he quickly shook it away. He needed to be focused.

Slowly he made his way deeper into the library, heading for the tables in the back, near the Restricted Section. Perhaps Hermione was hiding back there. As he rounded a corner around one of the tall bookshelves, he finally spotted her at the furthest table from the front. As if it were involuntary, a smile crept across Draco's face.

Hermione was bent over one of her huge books, with three more laying open beside her, furiously scribbling away on her parchment. His smile grew. Walking over as silently as possible, Draco crept closer to her table until he was right beside her. Gently he set his bag on the floor beside him, freezing as Hermione let out a soft sigh. When she didn't look up, Draco continued with his plan. _Let's see how she likes this._ Slowly he leaned down until his mouth was right beside her ear and whispered, "Hello, Hermione."

Hermione yelped and jumped, banging her head into Draco's nose in the process. "Draco!" she scolded, putting her hand over her heart. Draco hissed in pain. _Well that didn't turn out well_, he thought, rubbing his bruised nose. Hermione saw his grimace and her face softened. "I'm sorry," she said earnestly. "But you did scare me. What did you think was going to happen?"

"Not that," Draco answered. He sniffed and wiggled his nose a bit. _Damn that hurt. Note to self: never try that again._ He smirked at Hermione. "But I suppose I'll live."

"Aw, and here I was, already composing your epitaph," Hermione said sweetly. Draco's eyebrows rose. _Is she flirting with me? Maybe she didn't hear what I said earlier after all. _He smirked._ But that doesn't make it right_, the Naomi in his head told him. Draco quickly quashed his guilt.

"Save your pretty words for better things, Granger," he said.

Hermione scoffed. "And what could be better than that?"

Draco was silent for a moment and looked down at her. He realized they were standing quite close since Hermione had jumped up to check on his nose. The faint blush rising in Hermione's cheeks told him she had noticed it as well. "I could think of a few things," he said with a smile.

Hermione's blush deepened and she stepped away. _What I wouldn't give to know what is going through her mind right now_, Draco thought. Hermione cleared her throat. "Well, I hope homework is one of those things, because we certainly have a lot of it," she said briskly in an attempt to steer the conversation back to safer ground. She sat down and started rearranging her books to make room for Draco. "I already started on Transfiguration if you want to work on that first, or if you would like we could work on Potions or Charms or…"

Draco let her ramble on; listing practically ever assignment they had as he settled himself into the chair across from her. As she rambled Draco studied her. He noticed for the first time that morning that her hair was not in its usual bushy state; she had taken the time to pull it back in a neat braid, save for a few short tendrils at the base of her neck. _She really can be quite pretty. And with that flush to her cheeks…but that's odd. I almost miss her bushy hair._ Draco blinked. _Merlin, what am I thinking? I'm letting myself get carried away. But surely a little flirting can't hurt…_

"Draco!" Hermione's voice cut through his argument with himself.

"What?"

Hermione pursed her lips. Draco found himself studying those as well. _Are they as soft as they were in our dream?_ She sighed huffily. "Were you even listening to me? What do you want to work on?"

_Right. Homework. The reason we're here._ Draco shrugged. "Transfiguration is fine," he said. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I've already started on my essays," she said in an all-business tone. "Did you look through your assignments last night?" Draco shook his head and started to say something, but Hermione blushed again and said, "Well, I wouldn't have gotten such a head start, but I couldn't sleep." Suddenly she looked at him quite keenly and bit her lip, as though she was fighting the decision to say something. A second later she must have come to a decision, because she asked tentatively, "What about you? Did you, ah—have any trouble sleeping last night?"

Draco was quiet for a moment, looking into Hermione's anxious face. It was quite clear she had spent some time worrying about this. Unasked questions were written across her face as she waited for his answer. _What should I say? No, I didn't sleep at all last night because I was too afraid of what I might see when I closed my eyes? That I found out it didn't matter if I slept or not, because the daughter of our dreams haunts my waking thoughts?_ Several emotions flitted across Hermione's face, too rapidly for Draco to read them. She leaned forward. "Draco?" she asked quietly.

_Bloody hell._ Draco shook his head and Hermione looked as though he had just confirmed her worst fears. _I can't have that_, he thought. "I didn't sleep at all last night, actually," he told her honestly.

Hermione relaxed her shoulders, which had become rigid in the last few minutes. "I tried not to fall asleep," she began, but trailed off.

Draco looked at her. "Did you dream about them?" He held his breath, waiting for her answer._ I can't have been the only one._

Hermione bit her lip and nodded. "It was further in the future," she said, her eyes getting a bit misty as she gazed wistfully off into space. Draco nodded_. I knew it._ Suddenly he was dying to know what she saw.

"How much further? Was the baby born?" he asked.

Hermione looked at him with surprise. _What?_ Draco wanted to say, but held his tongue. He was allowed to be curious, wasn't he? "No," she said. "But I was bigger."

"What were we doing?" Draco wanted to know everything.

Hermione looked unsure for a moment, but continued. "We were putting the girls to bed. You were chasing them down the hall, pretending to be a monster and making them laugh. It ended with all of us laying on the bed laughing." Her cheeks tinged with pink, and it did not go unnoticed by Draco.

"What else?" he pressed.

"That's it, nothing else," Hermione said quickly. "I woke up after that." Her cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink.

_You're not very good at lying, Hermione_, Draco thought. _There has to be more than this_. "Did—did we do anything?" he asked.

"It's silly," she said, not looking at him. Draco frowned. _Just tell me, damn it!_ Hermione looked at her lap. "You kissed me on the cheek," she said, so quietly that Draco needed to strain to hear her. "You smiled at me; a smile meant only for me and pulled me in close, like you really cared. It was nice." Hermione fell silent after that, and shuffled her papers a bit, looking anywhere but at Draco.

A sudden fit of madness hit him. "But what if it wasn't?" he said.

Hermione looked up at him in confusion. "I beg your pardon?"

"Granted," he said cheekily, but when Hermione frowned at him he quickly continued. "What if it wasn't silly? Your dream, I mean. What if I really did care? What if I did kiss you on the cheek?" He blurted all this out very quickly and looked into Hermione's stunned face. He felt his own cheeks grow hot. _I must be mental. Since when am I such a sap? _He looked away.

A soft touch to his hand made him jump. Hermione had reached across the table and took his hand in hers. She gave it a gentle squeeze. Draco's heart sped up. "I think that would be nice," she said sincerely. She smiled at him.

_Sweet Merlin, this is really happening. I must be mad to want to try this._ Draco smiled back. Hermione nodded and let go of his hand. "Now let's see about this homework, shall we?" Draco could only nod.

* * *

They worked in quiet companionship for the next couple hours, only speaking to each other to discuss a part of their essay or a correct spell pronunciation. All the while, Hermione's thoughts were a maelstrom in her head. _Draco didn't sleep at all last night. He asked about our girls and the baby. He wanted to know more. The look in his eyes…_ She shook her head, trying to make sense of it all. Most dizzying of all was his words: _"What if I did care? What if I did kiss you on the cheek?"_

What if he did? _I would love it, of course_, her brain answered for her. _But it can't happen_, she told herself sadly. _Harry and Ron would never accept it, let alone the rest of Gryffindor, or Slytherin, or Draco's parents…I should just give it up._ She sighed.

"Hermione? Are you alright?" Draco's startled her out of her reverie.

"Fine," she squeaked. Draco frowned, obviously not buying it. Hermione bit her lip. _What are all these thoughts about giving up? Am I a Gryffindor or not? I never gave up on the house-elves, and I shouldn't give up on him either. _She took a deep breath. "I defended you against Harry and Ron this morning."

Draco suddenly looked gleeful. "So that's why Potter and Weasley were so upset at breakfast? I wondered what had gotten their knickers in a twist."

Hermione frowned. _Some things never change._ "You didn't antagonize them, did you?

Draco smirked. "Me? I would never," he said.

Hermione sighed in annoyance. "Draco, that doesn't really help things. I was sitting in the common room this morning, thinking about our dream and Harry came in-"

"Sticking his nose where it doesn't belong," Draco said.

_Prat_. "Harry's my best friend, Draco. Of course he would ask me what's wrong." Draco rolled his eyes and Hermione gave him a stern glare. _You're ruining it, Draco._ "Anyway, I told him he had died in my dream, and that's what had me so upset-"

"But you were lying, of course," Draco said.

Hermione glared at him. "Stop interrupting! And no, I wasn't. That was part of what was bothering me." She breathed heavily through her nose and continued. "So Harry made a joke and said it wasn't like he had died and everyone became Death Eaters and I was married to you-"

Draco choked. "What?"

"I told you to stop interrupting."

"But," Draco started. Hermione raised an eyebrow. He fell silent.

Hermione continued. "So I got a bit huffy and said you weren't a Death Eater and I _may_ have implied that it wouldn't be so bad being married to you. But I'm not sure that's what Harry took out of it. He was still hung up on the Death Eater thing. So we started arguing about how all Slytherins aren't inherently evil and…" she paused. Draco was gaping at her, his eyes sort of glazed over. She refrained from rolling her eyes, but just barely. "Draco, are you even listening to me?" He didn't answer. "Draco!"

He snapped out of his daze. "You _told_ Potter that it wouldn't be bad being married to me?"

_Boys. They never listen._ "No, I said I _implied_ it. That's completely different." Hermione rolled her eyes as Draco grinned.

"But you obviously didn't deny it, as I'm sure Potter and Weasley wanted you to." He grinned wider. "This is great."

_No wonder Harry and Ron thought I was mental. __**I**__ think I'm mental. This is impossible!_ Hermione stood up and put her hands on her hips. "No, it is _not_ great. Draco, how can we ever be friends, let along anything else if you can't prove that you're not a complete prat?" Across the table, Draco froze. Doubt suddenly gnawed at Hermione's stomach. "Unless you don't want to be," she said. "Unless—Draco, did you mean what you said earlier?"

_Oh, this is it. He's just been playing with me the whole time. And I fell for it. Stupid, trusting Gryffindor…_ "Yes," said Draco.

"What?" Hermione's thoughts stopped mid-rant.

"I did mean it," Draco repeated. "I…" he swallowed. "I do want to be your friend, Hermione."

"And the other thing?" Hermione asked. She held her breath. _You just had to ask that, didn't you Hermione?_

Draco smirked, looking much like his usual self again. "Anxious to kiss me again, Hermione?" he teased.

She blushed. "You're the one who suggested it," she teased back. Draco just grinned.

"We'll see," he said.

"Right," she said. _This is really happening! I'm going to be friends with Draco Malfoy._ "It's not going to be easy."

"I'll manage," Draco said with a shrug.

Hermione frowned. _This isn't something to shrug off._ "Really, Draco. I think you're the one who has a lot more social expectations of you than me. Being friends with me…with a Gryffindor, with Harry Potter's best friend, it's going to change everything."

"You don't think I know that?" Draco challenged.

"Of course not, but…" she trailed off. _I'm scared for you, Draco._

"Look, I'm throwing caution into the wind here, okay? So for now, let's just go with it," Draco said with finality.

Hermione nodded. _I can do that._ "So…homework?"

Draco rolled his eyes and shook his head. He smiled at her. "Yes. Let's get back to work. This might take a while."

Hermione smiled and nodded back. She had a feeling he wasn't just talking about their homework. _Being friends with Draco Malfoy, a challenge indeed._ She smiled to herself as she sat down. Hermione loved a good challenge.


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note:** Thanks again you to all who have reviewed and added this story to your favorite and alert lists! The agreement has been made and Draco and Hermione are trying out a friendship. But is that really all they want? And now their friends are starting to get suspicious. How will they pull this off? Read and find out!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Hermione was grinning when Harry and Ron found her in the Great Hall, slowly picking at her supper. There were grins on their faces as well and their cheeks were flushed from the ride back from Hogsmeade. "Hermione!" Harry said brightly, sitting down at the seat across from her and grabbing a plate, "What's got you in a happy mood?"

Hermione blinked and grinned wider upon seeing the boys, as though she had just now realized they had arrived. _Get your head out of the clouds, Hermione_, she scolded herself mentally. "Hello boys! How was Hogsmeade?" she asked, smoothly by passing Harry's question.

Harry's brow twitched, indicating that he noticed how she had avoided his question, but before he could say anything, Ron burst out enthusiastically, "It was brilliant! Harry and I got loads of new stuff from Zonkos, I can't wait to try it all out!"

"Well, as long as it isn't on Filch's list Ron," Hermione said, her bossy tone taking over. "You are a prefect after all."

Harry laughed and Ron groaned. "I told Harry that dream hadn't changed you!"

Hermione frowned. _What are they talking about?_ "What do you mean _changed_ me?"

Ron opened his mouth again, but this time it was Harry who intervened. "We got loads of stuff from Honeydukes too," he said quickly. "We even got you some of those flossing candies your parents like so much."

The thoughtfulness of the gesture caught Hermione off guard and she was momentarily distracted. She smiled sweetly at the boys. "Aw, I can't believe you remembered! You didn't have to do that," she said. _They really are the best._

Ron threw Harry a grateful glance and mouthed "nice one" before answering Hermione. "Sure we did," he said. "What are friends for?"

Hermione, who hadn't seen the silent exchange between the two boys simply nodded and her eyes sought out a certain blond-haired Slytherin at his House table. Ron and Harry, satisfied that potential disaster had been adverted, tucked into dinner. But Hermione was oblivious; her thoughts ran amok in her mind as she watched Draco from across the Hall. Ron's words echoed in her mind, _what are friends for?_ She wondered if they would still think that if she told them about Draco. _They'll be angry at first, certainly, but they will accept him eventually, won't they?_

Her doubts lingered in the back of her mind and gradually her thoughts turned to how she had come to be in this situation in the first place. _That potion shouldn't have linked us in the dream-state like that. There has to be another explanation. I wonder if Professor Snape has any theories…_

And just like that a sudden idea came into her Hermione's mind. She sat up straighter and turned her gaze to the Staff table. _If he is here tonight, I can ask him about it._ Harry noticed Hermione's sudden in attention and looked at her worriedly.

"Hermione…" he started uncertainly. Harry had seen that look on Hermione's face before. She often wore it when talking about S.P.E.W. or other foolish or stubborn ideas that had taken hold in her mind. He knew once she got these ideas, it would be useless trying to talk her out of them. "Hermione, what are you planning?"

Hermione smirked a little when she saw Professor Snape sitting sullenly beside Professor Dumbledore. _There you are_, she thought. _And you can't possibly refuse me with the Headmaster there_. The thought solidified her plans. She turned towards Harry, determination filling her expression. "I'm going to ask Professor Snape if he will go over the antidote he created for us with me," she said. Harry gaped at her.

"You can't be serious!" he exploded. Beside him, Ron choked on the chicken leg he was ingesting.

"'arry's ri', 'ermione," Ron choked out. He banged on his chest a little to stop choking. "You can't ask to spend extra time with Snape, it's mental!"

Hermione pursed her lips and frowned at Ron's lack of table manners. _Will he ever learn? _"It's _Professor_ Snape, Ron," she corrected. She sniffed haughtily. "I made my own antidote in my dream, but I woke up before I had a chance to use it. This is my chance to find out if it would have worked!"

"But Hermione," Harry said imploring her to see reason, "It's not as though this will turn up on our O.W.L.s, so why do you need to know?"

Hermione sighed. _Can't you understand?_ "I know that, Harry. But this was a unique case and I'd like to study it. Who knows what kind of impact this could have on the Wizarding world? This could be something really useful for patients at St. Mungos!"

Ron made a face. "How?"

Hermione threw her hands up with an exasperated sigh. "I don't know, Ronald. That's why I want to _study_ it." Ron and Harry just shook their heads, knowing it was futile to protest. She stood up. "And I am going to ask him _right now_."

Harry and Ron stared after her in horror and awe. Hermione snorted as she left, fairly certain of hearing Ron mutter, "She's completely mental, that one." _Perhaps it is mental,_ she admitted to herself._ But I'm not a Gryffindor for nothing. And this could be my only chance to find out why Draco and I connected like we did…_

Her heart pounding loudly in her ears, Hermione ignored the curious glances of the students in the Hall as she made her way up to the Staff table. Professor Dumbledore, she noticed was also watching her progress, his blue eyes twinkling merrily, as if he already knew what her purpose in coming up here was. _It wouldn't surprise me if he did know_, she thought wryly.

With a respectful nod towards the Headmaster, Hermione came to a stop in front of Professor Snape. Nervously, she cleared her throat and asked, "Professor Snape?"

Professor Snape, who had be studiously ignoring Hermione as she made her way up to the Staff table, now looked up at her with a bored and slightly annoyed expression. "Yes, Miss Granger?" he said in a clipped tone.

Now that she had his attention, Hermione stood up straight and prepared to begin. Professor Snape almost rolled his eyes as he watched her get ready to start her tirade. "As I'm sure you remember, when I woke up in the Hospital Wing I had a lot of questions about the antidote you prepared for us." She paused for a moment, blushing at the memory of waking up. _Draco and I were ridiculous! I can't believe we were flirting in front of the Professors…_

She saw Professor Snape's eyes darken and she hurried to continue. _Focus, Hermione_. "If you also remember, I mentioned I had made my own antidote while stuck in the dream-world. I was wondering, Professor, if you would consent to reviewing the antidote with me and perhaps discuss any theories you might have pertaining to this particular case?" She bit her lip as she waited anxiously for his reply. She had been deliberately vague about the last bit she wanted to discuss, but she was confident Professor Snape would understand her desire for discretion. She cast a glance down the Staff table at Professor Umbridge—_as if she deserves that title_—and back to Professor Snape.

Professor Snape sneered slightly. "I fail to see why I should discuss this with you. It is of no particular concern of yours and I will not be giving you any sort of extra credit for such an activity."

Hermione flushed at his biting words, but her anger flared up in her. "But Professor, it _is_ a concern of mine. Draco and I were a unique case and I want to know why I feel—why it happened! And I _don't_ want extra credit." She ignored the dangerous flashing in his eyes and continued. "Plus, this is a brand new potion and I am curious about the process of developing it. Not to mention I'd like to know whether or not _my_ antidote would have worked." She let out a breath, realizing she had said all that very quickly. Then she paled slightly._ I just snapped at Professor Snape. Oh Merlin, he is going to kill me._ Her eyes jumped nervously to the Headmaster.

"Miss Granger," Profess or Snape said in a dangerously low voice. "I do not give out my valuable time to insolent Gryffindors who merely want to satisfy their own insufferable curiosity. I suggest you visit the library. I believe you are well-acquainted with it." This time he did not hide his derisive sneer.

Hermione bristled. _It's not fair! If I were one of his precious Slytherins he would…_Hermione stopped. As it happened, she _was_ friends with one of his "precious Slytherins." Abruptly she changed her tactic. "Please Professor, I already told Draco we study this tomorrow. We were counting on your expertise, Sir."

Professor Snape's eyes narrowed. "Draco is involved with this little scheme of yours?" he said sharply. Hermione bit her lip. _He is now._

"Yes," she said simply, hoping Professor Snape wouldn't call her bluff. _But if he agrees, I'll have to bring Draco regardless. Time to put our friendship to the test I suppose._

Professor Snape sneered again and opened his mouth probably to refuse again, but this time Professor Dumbledore interrupted. "I think that is a splendid idea, Severus. Perhaps with both Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy helping, you can uncover the cause for this peculiar case." Hermione and Professor Snape looked at him in surprise.

_I knew you would come through for me, Professor_. Hermione turned expectantly towards Professor Snape, who suddenly looked as though he had swallowed something very sour. "Very well, Headmaster. Miss Granger, I will see you and Mister Malfoy in my office at two in the afternoon tomorrow, and not a minute after. Do not be late."

"Yes of course Professor, thank you," Hermione said, trying to hide her smile of triumph. _I did it! Now I can find out what really happened that day in Potions. _But just as she was about to walk away, Professor Snape called out to her.

"Don't forget to _remind_ Mister Malfoy of the time of our discussion. I shall be expecting _both_ of you or none at all, Miss Granger." He smiled nastily. _Rats. He saw right through that_, Hermione thought as she nodded. _But Draco will agree to come, won't he?_ She threw a glance over to the Slytherin table and found Draco's cool grey eyes staring back at her. Her cheeks began to heat up. Quickly she shrugged off any doubts and hurried back to her spot at Gryffindor table to gather her things.

* * *

Across the Hall, Draco watched as Hermione tore her eyes away from his and hurried back to Gryffindor table. She barely stopped there long enough to grab her things before he was quickly moving out of the Great Hall, with Potty and Weasel looking concernedly after her. _What are you up to now, Hermione?_

Draco had been watching her ever since she entered the Great Hall. He had watched her sit down and scan the Slytherin table, smiling when her eyes came to rest on him and later as she absent-mindedly picked at her food and stared off into space. _I wonder what she's thinking about,_ Draco had thought, his own thoughts wandering. Unfortunately they had been interrupted by the return of Pansy, who was hanging on the arm of Nott and looking thoroughly pleased with herself.

"Hello Draco," she had purred, leaning against Nott. "We had a fabulous time in Hogsmeade. Did you have fun _studying_ with your little mudblood?"

Hearing that had caused Draco's blood to boil. "I'm sick of hearing that, Pansy!" he'd growled. _I don't care how it happened or why, but the word "mudblood" is no longer included in my vocabulary._ She had pouted and tried to make amends, but Draco just shoved her off, leaving her to whine to Nott. For some strange reason, Nott didn't seem to mind.

When he was able to resume watching Hermione he saw that she was now talking with Potty and Weasel while alternatively glancing up at the Staff table. _What was she doing?_ Draco didn't have to wait long to find out, because despite the obvious horror on Potty and Weasel's face, Hermione had marched up to the Staff table, her head held high.

Draco watched with fascination as she talked with Professor Snape for several minutes. Judging by the looks of displeasure on his face, whatever Hermione was talking to him about wasn't making him happy. _Then again_, thought Draco, _talking to any Gryffindor, especially a member of the "Golden Trio" rarely makes him happy._ He continued to watch and saw the moment when Hermione had gotten what she wanted. Though she tried to hide it, Draco could see her smirk of triumph clearly from where he was sitting. Professor Snape must have seen it too, because seconds later he called to her and said something to make her shoulders droop. _What did he say?_ Draco was burning with curiosity.

Now as she disappeared out of the Great Hall, Draco was sorely tempted to jump up and follow her. The worried, somewhat intense look she had given him right before leaving was plaguing his mind. _Why did she do that? What was she talking with Snape about?_ Draco made a frustrated sound and looked down the table at his fellow Slytherins. Pansy was still glaring at him; Nott had his arm about her waist, Crabbe and Goyle were stuffing their faces, and Blaise flirting with Daphne Greengrass. He was sure none of them would care if he slipped away. Thinking quickly, he made his decision.

"Oi, Draco! Where you going?" Blaise called. Draco froze on his way from the table. He spun around. _Damn._

"Back to the common room," he lied smoothly. "I think I've had all I can take of any Gryffindor today," he said, jerking his head towards the Gryffindor table, where Harry and Ron were currently in close conference with each other. Blaise followed his gaze and nodded.

"See you later then mate," he said and went back to toying with Daphne. Draco rolled his eyes and strode away, inwardly cursing Blaise. _What right does he have to question me? Now I've lost time in catching up with Hermione!_ He hurried out of the Great Hall, searching in vain for a sign of Hermione or a hint as to where she was heading. There was none.

Sighing, Draco ran his fingers through his hair and thought for a moment. _My best bet is the library_, he decided_. If she's not there she probably already went back to her common room, in which case I'll simply have to catch her tomorrow before breakfast_. He quickly strode off in the direction of the library. It was mostly empty when he arrived there, since most students were either at supper or back in their common rooms. Draco scanned the front tables quickly and continued back to their table. _Wait, I'm thinking of it as "our table" now? _He shook off the thought and kept looking.

Seeing that she was nowhere to be seen, Draco sighed dejectedly and started back to the entrance of the library. _I really thought she'd be here_," he thought. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts about Hermione that he didn't notice her come flying around the corner until they crashed into each other. He was spewing curses before he even glanced at the person who knocked him to the ground. "Watch where you're going you idiotic—Hermione!" Draco half-gasped in surprise when he recognized the brown-haired girl lying on top of him.

"Hello to you too, Draco," Hermione said sarcastically. She pushed herself up, tucking a bit of fly away hair behind her ear and started gathering up her large stack of books.

Draco realized he was still gaping and quickly snapped his mouth shut. _Really smooth, Draco._ Shaking his head he hurriedly started helping her gather her books. "I thought you had left," he said dumbly.

Hermione looked at him with an amused smile. "Obviously I haven't. But you've caught me just in time. I was on my way out."

"Right." Draco furiously cast his mind about for something to say, cursing himself when his mind drew a blank. _This never happens, what is wrong with me?_ He glanced at a few of the titles Hermione was holding, and frowned. "What's all this for?" he asked. He stared at the stack of books in Hermione's arms, all about potions. _Didn't we finish the potions homework earlier today?_

Hermione followed his gaze and blushed. _That's odd. What on Earth could be embarrassing about a stack of potions books? _She cleared her throat nervously. "I, uh, got them for research," she said. Draco had no idea why she suddenly looked nervous, but nodded for her to continue. She looked at her feet. "I want to study Neville's potion and the antidote. I want to know if our antidote would have worked and," she paused to take a deep breath, "I want to find out why we were connected in our dream when no one else was."

Draco looked stunned. He hadn't given the potion or the antidote a second thought now that they were back in reality, but now he was suddenly curious. "Is that what you were talking with Professor Snape about?"

Hermione nodded, and a strange look came over her. "Yes, I asked him if he would consent to review his antidote and ours with us and maybe discuss some theories about why we connected like did. He agreed to meet us tomorrow at two," she said.

Draco nodded absently, thinking on what she said. Suddenly her words caught up with him. "Wait, did you say he agreed to see _us_? As in, you and I together? Tomorrow?"

Hermione clenched her teeth and nodded. She was looking at Draco in an intense sort of way, as if testing him, daring him to say no. Draco looked at her. _Of course I'll go, you twit_. He smirked, suddenly feeling back on even ground. He decided to have a little fun. "Thought you'd just blackmail me into going, hmm? Bet you dropped my name to Snape to make sure you'd get the appointment." The way she suddenly pursed her lips and clenched her fists around her stack of books told Draco he had been spot on. _A nice maneuver, Hermione. But you'll have to work harder if you want it to work on me._

"It's _Professor_ Snape, Draco," she snapped irritably. Suddenly her face cleared and she laughed. She looked at Draco and laughed.

"What?" said Draco, uncertain as to what had set her to laughing. _What did I miss?_

Hermione grinned. "It's just that I _always_ say that Harry and Ron and I never expected to ever have to say it to you," she said, the laughter still in her voice.

Draco frowned. He didn't like being compared to Potter and Weasley in any context, and he certainly wasn't _anything_ like them. He opened his mouth to make a retort, but Hermione beat him to the punch.

"So you will come tomorrow, right?" Suddenly her brown eyes were big and pleading and entirely too close to him for coherent thought.

"Of course," Draco heard himself say, and Hermione beamed.

"Great! I knew you would. Thank you so much! So I'll see you tomorrow, yeah? I'll meet you at our table after lunch. Now I have to get back to the common room, I have so much reading to do before tomorrow; I don't want to forget something during our meeting with Professor Snape…" she trailed off and her eyes glazed over with the multitude of thoughts running through her head. Draco just stared, trying to process it all. Hermione shook her head. "I'd better go. Good night, Draco!" And then she was gone.

Draco stood frozen in place for a few minutes, puzzling out what had just happened. He was pretty sure she had somehow just out maneuvered him. He looked up and stared at the empty space between bookshelves where Hermione had been standing only moments before. _What just happened?_


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note:** You guys are amazing. Seriously. Thank you for all the support! I apologize for the _e__xtremely_ late update. And now for Hermione and Draco's "date" with Professor Snape. This should be interesting. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Hermione was mad. Absolutely, completely, stark-raving mad. At least, that's what Harry and Ron told her. They bugged her all morning, trying to convince her not to go to see Professor Snape this afternoon. _Well,_ sniffed Hermione, _it's not going to work._

But as two o'clock drew nearer, Hermione started thinking that maybe they were right. She meticulously reviewed her notes on her antidote and what she could remember of Neville's potion, and all everything she could remember before and after the explosion. She gathered notes on making antidotes (it was sixth year material, so she wanted to make sure she was correct) and wrote out her personal theories about the accident. _I just don't want to make a fool of myself. I'm not a dunderhead, and I don't want to give Professor Snape any reason to think so. But what if I forget some simple detail?_ Worriedly she chewed on her bottom lip.

Then there was the issue of Draco. He wasn't really an _issue_ per say, but Hermione's feelings were so mixed up concerning him she didn't know what to think. She wanted to be his friend; that much she knew for certain. But there was another part of her that made her heart skip a beat when he smiled at her and her stomach flutter nervously when she caught him staring at her. It was this part of her that currently held her captive in front of the bathroom mirror, trying desperately to tame her riotous hair. _Why can't it just...behave!_ She sighed dramatically, and it was this moment that Ginny decided to walk in.

She took one look at Hermione's woeful expression and her extremely bushy hair and her face turned to one of pity. "Need some help?" she offered.

Hermione was flustered. "Oh um, I was just…" _Oh, a curse on my untamable hair!_ She sighed. "Yes please," she said resignedly.

Ginny just smiled and picked up Hermione's discarded brush. "So, why all the fuss about your hair?"

Hermione looked at the floor, trying to hide her reddening cheeks. "Oh, it's not a fuss really, I'm just a little stressed about this meeting with Professor Snape and then my hair just...won't behave," she said quickly. _There. That sounded pretty convincing, right?_

Ginny gave her a sympathetic look. "Right, I heard about your little meeting. Harry and Ron won't stop ranting about it. That in itself is enough to make anyone frazzled." Hermione nodded furiously. _When will they decide to grow up? He's our professor for goodness sake!_ Ginny pulled out her wand. "Well luckily for you, I was the only daughter of a mother who always wanted girls. Mum pampered me as often as she could, so I know a fair amount of beauty spells. We'll get your hair whipped into shape in no time."

Hermione smiled gratefully. "Thanks Ginny."

"No problem. Now let's get started!"

An hour later Hermione's riotous hair had been pulled back into a neat ponytail. It was still rather bushy, there just wasn't anything to be done about that. But it was a lot less frizzy, and Ginny had been able to curl it. Now Hermione's hair bounced lightly off her shoulders any time she turned her head. She smiled, taking a moment to admire herself in the mirror. _I actually don't look too bad._ "I don't know how you managed it, but thank you, Ginny. At least this is one less disaster I have to worry about."

"Anytime," answered Ginny with a smile. "And good luck with your meeting. Speaking of, shouldn't you be heading down there now?"

Hermione looked at her watch and gasped. "Holy cricket! I should have been down there five minutes ago! Thanks again Ginny, but I've got to go!" She grabbed her hefty schoolbag and fled from the common room. She arrived huffing at Professor Snape's door with one minute to spare. With a sigh, she fell back against the wall, thanking her stars she had arrived on time. _Professor Snape would have had my hide if I was late,_ she thought. Glancing quickly on either side of her and seeing no one, Hermione self-consciously patted her hair, making her it hadn't gone back to its usual state of frizziness.

"Primping for the professor?" drawled a voice to her right. Hermione nearly leapt out of her skin.

"Draco Malfoy!" she hissed, throwing him a glare and trying her best not to appear off guard. _Of course I wasn't. I w__as doing it for you. Where did you come from anyway? How lo__ng have you been standing there?_

"Long enough to watch you run down here as though your life depended on it," Draco said smirking with amusement. Hermione's already flushed cheeks reddened even more as she realized she must have said that last part out loud.

"I didn't want to be late," she said defensively. Draco's smirk grew wider.

"If you and Mister Malfoy stand outside my door making eyes at each other for any longer, Miss Granger, you will be." Both Hermione and Draco jumped as Professor Snape swung open the door to his office silently. Hermione looked at her feet. _As if this wasn't bad enough already!_ "Well don't just stand there, get in here," Professor Snape snapped, eyeing the pair of them with distaste. They scurried inside. Draco, Hermione was pleased to see, was blushing as well. _So I'm not the only one who doesn't like being called out by Snape!_

Hermione bustled over to her usual desk and started taking out her things, happy to have something to do with her hands to keep her thoughts from wandering. "We are not in class, Miss Granger," Professor Snape said derisively. She jumped and turned around, a question on her lips. "We'll be working in my lab today," he said, beating her to it. She frowned, but kept silent. _It will be fine, just remain calm._

* * *

Draco, who hadn't moved from his spot in the doorway, smirked. He could tell by the way Hermione had pressed her lips firmly together that she was holding back an angry retort. She threw a look his way and to his utter surprise, stuck her tongue out at him. He repressed a chuckle, but not fast enough to hide it from Professor Snape, who whirled around and eyed them suspiciously.

Straight faced, the pair of them followed the professor back to his private lab, where he already had several cauldrons simmering. Hermione immediately brightened and began looking all around the room with undisguised wonder and delight. _She's like a__ kid in a candy store,_ Draco thought with amusement. Professor Snape too, had noticed Hermione's excitement, for he said a bit gruffly, "You may set your things up on that table there."

Hermione hurried over to the table and began pulling things out of her bag. Draco, who hadn't brought anything with him—_why should I when I know Hermione will bring more than enough for the pair of us_—followed her and sat on a stool beside the table. He focused on not noticing the way Hermione's normally horrendous hair looked soft and managed today. It was even curled a bit. _I wonder if it is as soft as it __looks._ Quickly he shook his head to rid himself of such thoughts. It would not do to be mooning over Hermione under Snape's watchful eye.

It was quiet in the room for several minutes while Hermione fidgeted with her things and Professor Snape made a show of checking each of the simmering cauldrons. Finally, Hermione could no longer stand it. "Where should we start, Professor? I thought perhaps we could go over the potion Draco and I brewed while in the dream and go from there, unless you had other plans, Sir," she said quickly. Her big brown eyes her wide and hopeful, and Draco could see a hundred thoughts running behind them. _She really doesn't stop, does she?_ He had been momentarily surprised by the use of his name, but recovered quickly.

Professor Snape frowned, but gave a clipped nod. "Very well. Do you have your notes on the ingredients and how you went about making the potion? Be aware that dreams are not always clear and though you may remember doing something, actually recalling the precise action may prove to be futile."

"Oh no, Professor," Hermione interjected quickly. "The dream was very real. I remember everything perfectly, as though it was a memory." Subconsciously her hand slid down to her stomach. The action did not go unnoticed by Professor Snape or Draco. The action sent a jolt through Draco and the image of Hermione's face as they gazed at the unborn child in her womb floated across his memory. _I remember everything perfectly…I remember too. _Hermione caught the simultaneous looks from Draco and Snape and looked down at her covered stomach with a blush.

"Indeed," said Professor Snape, watching them closely. He held out a hand. "Your notes, Miss Granger?"

"Oh," said Hermione, sounding flustered. She handed over a small stack of parchment and launched straight into an explanation of her work. "The mandrake petals were the main ingredient, because of their restorative properties. I got the idea from the potion you brewed to wake us up in second year, Sir," Hermione babbled. Draco looked at her in surprise. He had forgotten that Hermione was one of the students who had been petrified in their second year. With a sudden pang of guilt, Draco remembered telling Crabbe and Goyle he wished Hermione would be the mudblo—muggleborn that died. _Merlin's beard, why am I such a prat?_

"I can read, Miss Granger," said Snape in a warning tone. Hermione's mouth shut with an almost audible snap. She watched Snape's face keenly for any signs of approval or displeasure. Professor Snape, as always, kept his face impassive, save for a slight sneer. Draco took that opportunity to study Hermione's face in turn. No one but Professor Snape and Hermione were in the room and they were both preoccupied. _No one will notice if __look a little longer than usual._

At long last Professor Snape spoke again. "This appears to be in order, Miss Granger, however, I have doubts about your technique. I will allow you and Mister Malfoy to brew it under my supervision."

Draco could practically feel the excitement bubble up inside Hermione. "Thank you, Professor!" she gushed.

"You may fetch the necessary ingredients from my storeroom," said Snape, waving them away. Hermione didn't hesitate, but when Draco took just a moment longer to get moving, Hermione reached back and grabbed his hand, pulling him along after her.

"Come on!" she ordered. Draco was too shocked to do anything but comply. _Her hand is in mine. She just grabbed my hand with Professor Snape watching! She's holding my hand._ As Hermione pulled him along, Draco amended his thoughts. _Okay, so she's more or less tugging me along like a heavy bag of books, but she's still holding me hand!_ "Keep up!" she ordered. "I can't carry all these ingredients by myself."

"Yes dear," Draco retorted. Hermione threw a look at him over her shoulder and suddenly realized they were holding hands. She let go of his hand has if she had suddenly realized he was something slimy or gross. Quick as a wink Draco snatched her hand back up with his. "Come on now, dear, I kind of liked us holding hands to go to the storeroom. Sort of romantic, isn't it?" he said cheekily.

"Sure Romeo," said Hermione, pulling her hand out of his grasp again.

Draco's brow furrowed in confusion. _Who in the name of Merlin is Romeo?_ "Who?"

Hermione looked at him incredulously. "Never mind," she said. "Here, hold these." She handed him a couple of phials and went back to perusing the shelves. "Professor Snape's stores are a lot more stocked than yours were, Draco," she remarked as she pulled a couple more phials from the shelves.

Irritation flickered through Draco. "Of course they are," he retorted. "Snape is a _Potions Master,_ after all."

"No need to get snippy," said Hermione. "And it's _Professor_ Snape, Draco. Honestly, what is it with you boys and shortening the professors' titles?"

"It's not a big deal, Hermione," Draco said as they went back to the lab.

"Of course it is," Hermione said in what Draco recognized as her lecture voice. _Sweet Merlin, __I've completely lost my edge around her if she's using that tone with me._ After thinking about it for a few moments, Draco decided he really didn't mind. Arguing with Hermione was fun. "Each of our professors earned their title and they deserve to be shown that respect."

"What about Umbridge?" asked Draco, knowing what her reaction would be. _She is too easy._

As predicted, Hermione stiffened and her eyes flashed. "I thought we covered that point," she said in a tone that brooked no argument. She looked at him sharply, telling him she was on to his game.

"How touching. Is the married couple having a friendly spat?" Professor Snape drawled from the doorway. Hermione and Draco jumped, not having realized they had stopped in the middle of the classroom to have their argument.

"Sorry Professor," said Hermione, her cheeks turning a brilliant shade of red.

"Do not waste my time with apologies, Miss Granger. I am giving up my afternoon for you, the least you could do is pay attention. If you can't, then take your lover's squabble elsewhere."

"Certainly, Professor," Draco drawled, matching Snape's tone. He placed a deliberate hand on Hermione's lower back, which was a difficult maneuver since his hands were full of potions ingredients, and steered her into the lab under the raised eyebrow of Professor Snape.

"What are you doing?" hissed Hermione as soon as they had passed him.

"Brewing an antidote, I believe," Draco replied nonchalantly. Hermione huffed indignantly.

"You know what I mean," she said.

"Actually, I am at a loss. I guess your superior intellect is too much of a match for me," he said with mock despair. He turned away to hide his grin when she ground her teeth in frustration. _I have been missing out by dismissing her because of her blood status. Sure, she still has lamentable choices in friends, but then again I have been having out with Crabbe and Goyle. Not exactly the most stimulating conversation partners._

"You are incorrigible," she said, shaking her head.

"But you like it." The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. If it were anyone else he wouldn't have thought twice, but Hermione wasn't like the other girls.

"Luckily for you, that's true," Hermione replied, not looking him in the eye. He noticed her cheeks were tinged with pink and he let out the breath he had been holding. _So. She really does like it. Interesting... _"Let's get started on this," Hermione announced, changing the subject.

"A fine idea, Miss Granger. I was wondering if you were ever going to get to that," said Professor Snape drily from behind them. Both Draco and Hermione blushed. _Oops. Forgot he was there._

They worked quickly and quietly after that, moving in harmony as they had in the dream. For a moment, Draco could almost imagine they were really in the Malfoy Manor, with Naomi and Evanna waiting upstairs for them. The only thing that completely dispelled that notion was the looming form of Professor Snape behind them, watching their every move. Hermione, used to Snape's tendency to hover, thought nothing of it. Her face was a mask of concentration as she chopped, stirred and counted. The steam from the potion was slowly teasing her hair out of its ponytail, giving her a halo of frizz.

When the potion finally turned the revolting shade of neon green it had in their dream, Hermione gave a triumphant shout. Professor Snape was at her side immediately, his sharp eyes sweeping over the simmering, smoking potion. "This appears to be adequate," he said. "It is slightly off color as described in your notes," he said.

Draco's jaw dropped. "What are you talking about? It's perfect!" he said indignantly. Professor Snape turned and gave him a surprised glare. _Only that man could look surprised and glare at the same time._ "Uh, Sir?" Draco said quickly, trying to back track. _Oops._

Hermione was looking at Draco with surprise as well. _What? The potion was perfect. There was no need for Snape to say it wasn't._ When he turned back to Professor Snape, the man had wiped all traces of surprise from his face and was now sneering in his usual fashion. "I said it was adequate, Mister Malfoy, not that it was failure. As usual, Miss Granger has exhibited her extensive and obnoxious know-it-all prowess." Hermione's jaw dropped, as if Professor Snape had just told her she had just aced all her N.E.W.T.s. _Which she probably would…someday._

Professor Snape turned on his heel and grabbed a dropper from a back table. "Now let us find out if her theory proves to be correct." Carefully he collected a sample of the lurid green liquid and walked over to a large cage in the corner of the room, which appeared to be full of rats, some sleeping, and some running about. "These rats are dosed with Longbottom's botched potion. If your antidote works, they should wake up. If not, well. We'll see what happens, shall we?"

Draco and Hermione eagerly leaned forward as Professor Snape carefully dropped a few droplets of the potion into one of the sleeping rat's mouth. For a few excruciating seconds, nothing happened. Professor Snape smirked, Draco felt his stomach drop, but Hermione just leaned forward even more, a desperate, hopeful expression on her face.

Just as Draco was about to give it up as a bad job, the rat stirred, coughed, then jumped up, awake and alert. "Yes!" cried Hermione, twirling around a bit. She turned around, grabbed ahold of Draco and pulled him in for a hug. He froze in surprise. Very rarely did anyone hug him, and here Hermione was, hugging him as if she did it on a daily basis. She seemed not to notice his stiffness. "We did it!" she laughed.

"So it would seem," said Professor Snape mildly. Draco got the impression that Snape hadn't realized how much he and Hermione's dream had changed the dynamic between them until now. _Good luck figuring it out, Professor. Let me know if you have any answers._ Somehow Hermione had become lodged in his life, and he wasn't entirely sure that was such a bad thing. In fact, he quite liked it.

He felt a sense of loss when Hermione released him to watch Professor Snape perform the diagnostic charms on the rat. _Get a grip Draco._ He tried to focus on what Professor Snape was saying, but it was just going in one ear and out the other. All he could think about was Hermione's arms around him. _This isn't right. We were just going to be friends. Just friends! Not…more._

Whatever Professor Snape had said must have been good news, because Hermione was grinning ear to ear. With her halo of frizzy hair and her cheeks rosy from laughter and the cauldron's flames, she looked utterly adorable. It was then Draco knew he had lost it. He was mad. Absolutely, completely, stark-raving mad.

Soon Draco found himself watching Professor Snape duplicate a copy of his notes to give to Hermione while she did the same. They exchanged notes and Hermione gushed her thanks while Professor Snape sneered and looked irritated and bored as usual. Then he was nodding and saying his goodbyes to the professor and Hermione had once again taken his hand and was leading him out of the potions classroom. _I've completely lost it,_ Draco thought as he stared down at Hermione's hand wrapped around his.

Hermione was babbling again, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright as she talked about the success of their—technically her—potion. "I knew it would work, I just knew it! I suppose we'll never know what would have happened if we had drank the potion while still in the dream, but maybe if Professor Snape still has some of Neville's potion we could go back under for an hour or two and try making the potion again! I'll have to ask. Oh! I completely forgot to ask Professor Snape why he thought we were connected in our dreams. I'll have to ask him tomorrow or maybe at supper. What do you—Draco?"

She stopped, looked down and quickly let go of his hand. "Don't know why I keep doing that," she said with some embarrassment. Draco was staring at her, a hundred thoughts running through his mind, but one thought over-powered all the others and took over his mouth.

"I do," he said and leaned in. Hermione barely had time to gasp in surprise before Draco captured her lips with his. She was frozen at first, but gradually relaxed and leaned into the kiss. Her book bag dropped to the floor and she wound her arms around his neck while his wrapped around her waist. They separated for a moment to breathe. "I've wanted to do that all day," Draco said.

Hermione blushed fiercely. "Me too," she mumbled. And that was all it took for Draco to lean in again for another kiss. They were so caught up in each other that neither one noticed when two familiar students walked around the corner and came to a dead stop when they caught sight of the snogging pair. In fact, they might not have noticed anything for quite a while if one of those students hadn't yelled, "HERMIONE!" in shock.

Draco and Hermione leapt apart, their faces flushed and Hermione looked guiltily into the shocked faces of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. Their faces, especially Ron's, were slowly turning dark shades of red. Draco glanced at Hermione, who was looking slightly panicked. _Bloody hell. This is going to be a mess._ He closed his eyes and waited for the explosion, making sure his wand was held tightly in his hand. _Bring it on, boys._


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note:** Hope no one has been languishing away in agonizing anticipation of what happens next. I was rather teasing when I left you with that cliffhanger, wasn't I? Ah well. Everything is put out in the open in this chapter. Now the boys know what's going on, will they accept it or make Hermione choose—them or Draco? Warning: Angsty chapter ahead. You knew it had to happen eventually!

* * *

**Chapter 7**

"Harry! Ron!" said Hermione, utterly horrified. A deep blush covered her cheeks; she could feel them burning. _This isn't how I wanted them to find out!_

Harry and Ron seemed not to notice Hermione's embarrassment or distress. Their eyes were fixed on Draco and their faces were contorted by rage. "How dare you touch her!" Harry bellowed.

"Yeah, what are you playing at, you slimy git!" Ron yelled, backing Harry up. Both of them pulled out their wands and pointed them at Draco, who whipped his out just as fast and jumped into a defensive position.

"No! Stop!" cried Hermione, pulling out her own wand almost subconsciously. "You can't fight here! If you're caught, Umbridge will have you expelled, Harry! You know she's just looking for an excuse..."

"You can just stay away from Hermione, Malfoy," said Harry warningly, completely ignoring Hermione's pleas.

"She wasn't exactly objecting, Potter," Draco drawled in his usual arrogant tone. Hermione threw a shocked glare at him. _What is he doing? Talking like that is only going to provoke Harry..._she yelped as a stinging jinx flew past her elbow and straight towards Draco. He blocked it effectively. "Better watch that temper, Potter. It's going to get you into trouble someday."

"Draco!" Hermione shrieked, her own anger spilling into her voice. _That idiot!_

Hermione's shriek of Draco's given name seemed to spur on Harry and Ron's anger, for they both shouted jinxes and hurled them at Malfoy. Draco ducked and threw a few jinxes of his own, Hissing violently when another one of Harry's stinging jinxes hit him on the shoulder. _Oh, this is ridiculous! We're all going to be expelled!_ Gone was the red tinge of embarrassment from Hermione's cheeks, and in its place was the flush of anger. She held up her wand and cried, "_Immobilous!_" Immediately all three boys were frozen, their eyes open comically wide, their mouths open in mid-spell.

Hermione took a deep breath and organized her thoughts. _Okay, so this isn't exactly how I planned on telling the boys, but one has to make do._ She looked up and stared resolutely at the frozen boys before her. "Right," she started. "Since it's clear that you three can't behave in a civil manner, I am not lifting this enchantment until I've said my piece and I am sure none of you will curse the other. Understood?" The boys of course, couldn't answer, but Hermione looked into their eyes and saw their—in Harry and Ron's case, reluctant—assent. She continued. "Harry, Ron, I haven't been entirely truthful with you. I told you bits and pieces of my dream, but I didn't tell you everything. I'm going to tell you now." She paused here and looked questioningly at Draco. His eyes looked resigned.

_Okay, here I go,_ Hermione closed her eyes for a moment before starting. "When I woke up in my dream, I wasn't alone. I was with Draco. Not just a dream-Draco, but the _real_ Draco. We quickly deduced that we were trapped in some kind of dream world as a result of Neville's potion exploding and decided for the time being, we would play along with whatever was going on. That became a lot more difficult once we realized we weren't just trapped in the dream together. We were also married." At this she stopped and looked a little fearfully into Harry and Ron's faces. As she expected, their eyes had widened with shock and quickly darkened with anger.

_That is no more than what I expected, _Hermione thought, calling on her Gryffindor courage to continue. "As you can imagine, neither of us were too pleased with the idea. In fact I—I passed out." She heard a snort from Draco and realized her spell was weakening. She frowned at him and renewed the charm. "When I woke up, I was again shocked to find out that I was not only married to Draco, but had two daughters with him, and was expecting another child." Harry and Ron's eyes bulged. Hermione resisted the urge to roll her own eyes. _Well, it wasn't exactly a picnic for me either, boys._

"We decided—well, _I_ decided—that we would have to play along with being happily married for the children's sakes." Harry rolled his eyes. "Hey!" she scolded. "Everyone in the dream world seemed to think we were a match made in heaven and I wasn't about to upset the children—_my_ children—by suddenly hating my husband because he was your arch enemy, Harry!"

She let out a huge sigh and rubbed her temples. "This _thing_ between Draco and I, what you two just witnessed, it didn't just happen overnight. I was angry at first. _Really_ angry. But we weren't exactly at Hogwarts, so I put on my brave face, took my girls and away we went to the bookshop for some answers. I learned some terrible things about the world we were living in, and some wonderful things too. The War with You-Know-Who was over, but people everywhere were still dealing with the aftermath. Draco, it seemed, had ben a huge help by changing sides near the end of the War. We apparently had gotten close after that. After I returned to the Manor, we attended a Ministry dinner held in honor of the Five-Year Anniversary of the end of the War. I cried, and Draco held me. He was surprisingly sympathetic. After that, we threw ourselves into researching for an antidote to our predicament. We spent some time with our daughters...and Draco took me on a date."

At this there was a strangled sputtering sound from both Harry and Ron. Hermione jumped, startled, then rolled her eyes. _My charm is weakening again. I'd better finish this up quickly._ "Look," she said, starting to pace back and forth, "I can't really explain it. I saw a different side to Draco while we were stuck there. Sure, he can still be a complete prat, but I know that other side is still there." She sighed again and tugged on her ponytail, which had begun to fall loose. "I can't exactly help these feelings, you know. And I don't want to. I'm _glad_ I got this opportunity to see this side of Draco, and I _want_ to see more of it." She stopped suddenly and looked fiercely at Harry and Ron. "If you're truly my friends, you'll accept this and behave civilly. I'm not asking you to like him. I just want to you accept that I want him in my life." Harry's eye twitched a little and Ron's ears turned purple, but of course, they couldn't say anything. "And you," Hermione said, turning to Draco and giving a look that was just as fierce as the one she gave Harry and Ron. _How on earth did he manage to smirk while frozen?_ "If you truly like me, then you're going to have to accept that Harry and Ron are my best friends. I won't give them up for anything, and I _won't_ accept any trash talk about them." The light in Draco's eyes seemed to darken, but like Harry and Ron, he was prevented from answering.

"Now," said Hermione in a business-like tone, "I'm going to remove the charm. But if _any_ of you so much as look at each other the wrong way I swear I won't talk to you for a month. And that includes checking your homework!" she added as an extra warning to Harry and Ron.

After glancing back and forth between the three boys for a few moments, she took a deep breath. _Here goes nothing._ She released the spell. Immediately Harry and Ron burst into angry shouts. "You can't be serious, Hermione! He's Malfoy! A Slytherin! The guy who has bullied us from day one at Hogwarts, the guy who called you mudblood and tried to get Hagrid fired! The same guy who talked to Rita Skeeter last year and caused her to write some of those horrible things about you and me and Hagrid! And he's Malfoy!" Hermione shook her head and rubbed her temples. _The worst part is, they're right. They've got completely valid points for all of those things. I've just got to get them to understand, I haven't forgiven him for everything, I'm just trying to give him a second chance._ From the back of her mind, a particularly annoying voice added, _it helps that you fancy the arse off of him too._

"Shut up!" shouted Hermione, both to the voice in her mind and to her shouting friends. A few red sparks shout out of the end of her wand and both Harry and Ron stopped shouting.

"Hermione?" Draco asked, his voice heavy with questions.

"Oi! She said shut up!" Ron said nastily. Hermione threw him a glare and Ron snapped his mouth shut.

She gave Draco a small, weary smile. "I'll catch up with you later, if that's okay. I think I need to have a _long_ chat with these two." Draco made a face like he wanted to say more, but instead just nodded.

"After dinner, in our library spot?"

Hermione's smile widened. "Perfect. I'll see you then." Draco smiled back and gave Harry and Ron a stiff nod before disappearing down the hallway. Harry and Ron for their part, tried valiantly not to glare, but failed. Hermione gave a half-laugh, half-sigh. _At least they tried._

"What does he mean, your library spot?" asked Ron as soon as he'd gone. "Since when do you two have a library spot?"

"Since we studied together yesterday while everyone else was in Hogsmeade," Hermione answered. Ron sputtered a bit. _At least they're still talking to me._ She looked over to Harry, who was silent and looked grave. "Harry?" she asked tentatively.

"This is why you defended him yesterday, isn't it?" Harry asked suddenly.

Hermione was taken aback by his vicious tone. "Yes," she said truthfully.

"And that's what you were really worried about, not me, you know, dying," he said in an accusatory tone.

Hermione looked stricken. "No, that's not true, Harry! Well, it was part of it, but I really was, and _am_ upset about you dying. It was a horrible shock for me, you know! I, I wanted to curl up and die too, just then. I wanted to wake up from such a horrible dream. Being married to Malfoy—that I could deal with. But losing you," she paused, steadying her breath. "I couldn't stand it Harry. And instead of being a total prat like he could have been, Draco offered his support. Once I had overcome the initial shock, I was that much more determined to find a way out of the dream and get back to you. Because I don't want to live in a world without you in it, Harry. You're like a brother to me."

Harry remained silent and looked as though he was thinking hard. Ron looked staggered. "You dreamed Harry died?" he said a bit hoarsely. Hermione nodded, tears pricking at her eyes. _It was the most horrible thing I've ever experienced._ "And what about me?"

"You were the one who told me about it," Hermione said, her voice choking a bit. "It was horrible. I just broke down right there in Diagon Alley and you took me to your brothers' joke shop and helped me home. Bought the girls ice cream too," she added at the end, smiling a little at the memory. "They really liked you," she said softly. _And I wished they were yours, at first._ This brought up the painful feelings of betrayal again. _But I like Draco. Me and Ron are...just friends. I think. Just friends. And that's how he sees it too, right?_

"That's something then, right?" Ron said, a bewildered expression on his face. His mouth twitched for a moment before he blurted out, "You were in my dream too you know."

Surprise flittered through Hermione. "Really?" she said, curious, but suddenly afraid of what he'd say next. Harry, she noticed, stood up a bit straighter and looked at Ron curiously, as though he wasn't quite believing what was happening. Hermione had a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"Yeah," said Ron, glancing at Harry before continuing. He took a deep breath and suddenly looked determined. "You were, uh, we were...uh," he paused for a moment, then took the plunge. "You were my wife," he said in a rush and glancing at Hermione hopefully.

Several emotions ran through Hermione at once. First was elation and flattery at the thought that Ron dreamed about being married to her. Second was that now familiar feeling of betrayal—Ron was dreaming about her while she dreamed about their arch enemy. _What's wrong with me?_ And third was a feeling of alarm and anxiety. _Does Ron want to act on these feelings? Why now? Why not before? I don't want to abandon whatever it is I have with Draco, but I don't want to ruin my friendship with Ron. Please don't make this worse Ron, please... _"Oh?" she managed to get out. Harry was now watching her with intense scrutiny. "How, how did you feel about that, Ron?"

Ron looked surprised, as though that was the last thing he had expected to come out of Hermione's mouth. He thought for a moment, then shrugged, trying to pass himself off as nonchalant but not quite making it. "We rubbed along alright, being best mates and all," he said, not meeting her eyes. His ears, Hermione noticed, were a fiery red to match his hair. _Either I'm totally off the mark, or I'd say that thought hadn't occurred to him before._

"I mean," said Hermione gently and trying to ignore Harry's probing stare, "is this something you want to act on or was it just an intriguing thought?"

Ron looked alarmed and looked to Harry for support. He was too busy staring fixedly on Hermione. "Well uh, I thought we were alright. I'm sure I'd be better for you than Malfoy."

Hermione pursed her lips. _Pushed aside again, only thought of as a last resort._ "I will not date you Ronald Weasley, simply because you want to keep me from Draco Malfoy."

Ron paled a bit at the use of his given name, which almost always meant Hermione was displeased with him, but stiffened with anger at her blatant rejection. "You'd choose that ferret over me, your best mate?"

_I knew this would happen._ Hermione bit her lip, not out of worry but in anger. "That's not what I said, Ronald," she said firmly. _I need to stay in control._

"But it's what it sounds like," Harry said suddenly, breaking his silence. Hermione gave him a withering stare, one he equally returned.

"It's not what I meant," she repeated. "Look, I wasn't kidding about wanting Draco in my life. He deserves a second chance, and opportunity to change that he might not get otherwise!"

"And you're the one to give it to him?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Oh bloody hell, he _is_ your next house-elf crusade, Hermione!" Ron cried. "Look, you've got a big heart Hermione, but that doesn't mean you have to give to the likes of Malfoy. Look what he's done to you!"

"Yeah," Harry quickly seconded. "Look at what he's done to all of us and our friends. Are you just going to let that slide? I can't believe you, Hermione! His father is a Death Eater! I _saw _him at the graveyard, Hermione. What do you think that makes Draco?"

"Not a Death Eater," Hermione snapped. _Honestly, don't you two get it? We have a chance to change that! The opportunity to make him one of us._

"He's as good as," Harry said darkly. "Do you really think this will last, Hermione? How do you know isn't working on his father's orders, trying to get close to you? He could be using you! That's the kind of guy he is, and trust me, he's not going to change."

"Harry's right, Hermione," Ron said. "He's a Malfoy. And Malfoy's don't change."

"What do you know?" Hermione shouted, finally losing her patience. "None of us have any idea what kind of pressure Draco is under from his father, none of us knows what life is like as a Slytherin, and just because we're in Gryffindor doesn't automatically make us the good guys and Slytherin the bad guys! Just look at Petigrew!" she cried.

"Don't bring him into this," Harry growled.

"Why not?" said Hermione shrilly, throwing her hands up in the air. "Because I have a point? You're blinded by your prejudices, Harry, and that's just as bad as Draco judging me by my blood status. He admitted he was wrong, why can't you?"

"I don't believe you," Harry said, his voice rising.

"Yeah, why should we believe anything he says?" asked Ron, backing Harry up.

_This is hopeless!_ "I'm not asking to you believe him. I'm asking you to believe me! What's so hard about that? Don't you trust me?" She looked plaintively at the pair of them.

"I'm not so sure anymore," Harry said coldly. "What's next, are you going to start saying I'm a liar too?"

"Of course not Harry," Hermione said, a few tears spilling onto her cheeks. She rubbed them away furiously.

Ron looked distinctly uncomfortable seeing Hermione cry and he nudged Harry. "Hey mate, I don't think it will go that far, come on. She's just a bit worked up over this dream is all."

"I'm not just _worked up_ over this dream Ron, I'm perfectly serious. Yes, the dream helped me see things a little differently but-"

Harry rudely cut her off. "I think we get it, Hermione. Looks like you've got a choice. Him, or us. Because that's what it's going to come down to, Hermione. In the end, we're going to have to choose a side. Better choose carefully."

Hermione gasped. "No, Harry! How can you say that? I will _always_ be on your side. Can't you accept that Draco might want to join our side too? Everyone's got light and dark inside them, Harry. No one is all bad or all good."

Something flashed briefly in Harry's eyes as she said those last words, but his face quickly hardened again and he pressed his mouth into a thin line. _Please don't push me away Harry. I'm trying to help!_ "Some cases are too far gone, Hermione. I'm sorry." Only to Hermione, he didn't sound sorry at all. Desperately, she turned to Ron.

"Please, Ron," she begged. He looked at the floor. "I'm sorry Hermione, but Harry's right on this one. There's no helping Malfoy. It's just mental."

Hermione's mouth hung open for a few moments while she started beseechingly at both boys. _How can this be their decision?_ She sniffed and drew herself up to full height. "Fine," she said stiffly. "If this is your decision…if this is the choice offered to me, well," she paused. _I really don't want another year like third year, with neither Harry nor Ron talking to me, but this is important._ "I'll need some time to think about it," she spat out defiantly. Ron's mouth dropped open in surprise. Harry just looked grim.

"But Hermione," Ron said. Now it was him who looked beseechingly between his friends. "You can't really mean that."

"I do," said Hermione firmly. "I can't understand why my two best friends are making me choose sides like this, but…"

"We're just looking out for you!" Ron cried out.

"Oh really?" Hermione said, raising an eyebrow. "Well, it certainly doesn't feel like it."

"But," Ron started to protest again.

"Just leave it Ron," Harry said, still looking grim. He walked over to Ron and nodded his head sideways. "Come on, Hermione needs time with her thoughts, apparently," he said, not looking at her. Hermione took a shuddering breath, trying valiantly to hold back her tears. _Fine. If that's how you're going to be…_

"Goodbye," Hermione called bitterly after them. _It's not fair,_ she thought to herself. She watched the retreating forms of her two best friends until they disappeared around the corner. _It's not fair at all,_ her mind cried as she finally let her tears fall, her shoulders heaving with sobs in the empty corridor.

* * *

Back in his common room, Draco paced restlessly. _It's not fair,_ he told himself. Why couldn't he just be friends with Hermione? Why did everything have to be so complicated? Why did she have to be a bloody Gryffindor and friends with bloody Potter? _If it were anyone else…_ Draco shook his head. If it were anyone else, he wouldn't be pacing. _And she likely wouldn't be worth it._

In his hand he clutched a letter that had just arrived from his father, advising him to support Umbridge in whatever changes she suggested. It would be wise to appear to support the Ministry right now, his father had said. _Even if they're wrong? Even if Umbridge is a next to useless teacher with medieval punishment practices and an unhealthy obsession with kittens?_ He threw the letter aside in disgust. Of course he would have to do what his father advised, even if he thought it was stupid. Before it hadn't bothered him. Now he had the complication of worrying about what Hermione would think.

_Maybe we didn't think this through. Maybe **I** didn't think this through._ Draco ran a hand through his hair. Being friends, or possibly more with Hermione Granger came with baggage. Not just Potter and Weasley, but her blasted Gryffindor ideals too. _I can't just change overnight. It's not that easy._ He sighed again. _Do I even want to?_

The question brought him up short. _Did_ he want to change? He threw a look over to his bed, and suddenly Naomi and Evanna were sitting there, looking up at him innocently. He blinked rapidly and they were gone. _This is too much. Of course I want to change. No one wants to be a prat all the time._ A cold feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. Changing wouldn't just mean defying his father. It meant…defying You-Know-Who as well. Draco shivered involuntarily and closed his eyes. He'd seen his father's Dark Mark; he knew Potter was telling the truth about the Dark Lord's return. It terrified him.

_I've got to talk to Hermione,_ he thought. It was just too much for him to sort out on his own. _If nothing else, Hermione can just forget about me and go back to her friends. It would be easier for her in the long run._ He bit the inside of his cheek. _But which would be easier for me?_ With another ragged sigh, Draco resumed pacing. It was a long time until his meeting with Hermione. He only hoped he could pull his thoughts together by then.


	8. Chapter 8

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note:** Hello again! Sorry for the dreadfully _long _wait everyone, but with Christmas and everything, I had a lot going on family-wise. But now I'm back! Thanks for all the responses on the last chapter. It was quite angsty, wasn't it? Well, I'm afraid it doesn't end there. Hermione and Draco still have to talk this out...

**Chapter 8**

Hermione skipped dinner, feeling too upset to eat. Instead she hid in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom most of the afternoon. She had cried for a good hour after the boys had left her in the hallway, which seemed to put Myrtle in an almost pleasant mood. The rest of the time was spent pacing in front of the sinks, muttering furiously to herself. "I _knew_ they would over-react, this is exactly why I didn't tell them the truth sooner, but I _never_ would have thought Harry would..." Hermione broke off suddenly with strangled sob and teared welled up behind her eyes.

"Boys really are the most _dreadful_ beings," said Moaning Myrtle gleefully, floating behind Hermione's shoulder.

"That doesn't help Myrtle!" Hermione hissed. Myrtle only looked more pleased.

"But you know it's true," she prodded, hovering anxiously at Hermione's side.

"Well it doesn't make me feel any better, being right!" she snapped, glaring at Myrtle. The ghost dissolved into giggles and flew languidly up to the bathroom window.

"It does me," she said amusedly. Hermione's glare intensified. _I am going to kill her,_ she thought, then snorted in disgust when her over-active brain reminded her she couldn't actually _kill_ a ghost since they were already dead.

"Doesn't mean I couldn't try," she mumbled to herself.

"What was that?" asked Myrtle, stopping in mid-giggle. Hermione smiled sweetly at her. The look was somewhat spoiled by her red eyes and puffy, tear-stained cheeks, but her tone of voice betrayed nothing.

"Nothing of consequence," Hermione answered. Her grin widened when Myrtle's face pulled into one of confusion. She let out a long satisfied breath. Her tears, at last seemed to be dried up. In their place Hermione felt refreshed and..._angry. _It felt good. "Harry and Ron were wrong to ignore me in third year because of Crookshanks and that blasted Firebolt, they were wrong to ignore me because of Victor Krum and they're wrong to ignore me now because of Draco. I won't stand for it!" she said determinedly. A small, nagging voice in the back of her head reminded her that most of those things had been _Ron_ ignoring her, but Harry more often than not went along with him. _Not this time._

From outside the sound of hundreds of feet and the chatter of students filtered inside the bathroom door, but Hermione made no notice of it. "I'm going to talk with Draco and figure out a plan. Then I am going to go after those boys and make them see reason one way or another, or so help me I won't be helping them with homework for the rest of our Hogwarts careers!" She looked absurdly pleased with her statement. _We'll see how they take that._ Myrtle however, was less impressed.

"Oh? And just when are you going to have this discussion with the blond boy?"

"After dinner, of course," said Hermione. "I told him I'd meet him in the library at our usual spot."

Myrtle looked smug. "Oh, you have a "spot" in the library hmm? And do you usually keep him waiting?"

Hermione looked affronted. "Of course not. I'm never late for anything."

Myrtle was grinning now. "You mean you _used_ to never be late."

Hermione looked at the ghost in confusion. _What on earth is she on about? I'm never late. I __keep a careful watch on the..._ Hermione's eyes widened and she yelped. Suddenly the meaning of the sounds she'd been ignoring from outside hit her like an angry hippogriff. "I'm late!" she cried, scrambling to get her things together. "I told Draco I'd be there after dinner and now he'll probably think I bailed on him because of something the boys said, I know it, oh I'll never forgive myself if he's not there!"

Myrtle was still grinning like a cat who had been just fed some cream. "Promise to come back and visit me again. You're welcome to come back and cry any time."

"Goodbye Myrtle!" Hermione called over her shoulder. She didn't give the ghost another thought. The library was two floors away, and she was late!

* * *

When Hermione didn't show up to dinner, Draco felt his stomach sink. He scanned the Gryffindor table up and down, but only the scowling faces of Potter and Weasley looked back at him. _Damn those two_, he thought angrily to himself. _What did they say to her?_ His stomach dropped even further when another thought hit him. _What if it was __**me**__ who made her so upset? _Draco didn't like that thought at all. _It was you who came between her and her friends,_ a nasty little voice in the back of his head whispered. _No,_ Draco thought back fiercely. _I'm not trying to hurt her. I'll fix this. _Putting on a determined face, Draco left his untouched dinner sitting on his plate and strode out of the Great Hall.

He practically ran to the library. _Please be there Hermione, plea__se be there..._ Draco's stomach fell to his feet when he reached the library with no sign of the bushy-haired girl. "Dinner's not over yet," he said aloud to himself. "She's not late yet."

As an increasing amount of time passed with no Hermione however, Draco's anxiety increased. _Where is she? She wouldn't have stood me up...would she? _ He frowned and paced around their table at an increasing rate. Meticulously watching the clock, each second seemed to drag out into minutes and the minutes into hours. _This __is Hermione Granger we're talking about. Standing people up isn't her style...but neither is consorting with Slytherins, _his subconscious added snidely. Nothing Draco thought of put him at ease.

After the first two minutes of Hermione being late, Draco took to walking up and down the aisles of bookshelves, staring unseeingly at the rows of titles before him. Every few seconds his gaze would dart hopefully towards the doorway, but there was no sign of Hermione.

Just as Draco was about to give up and head back to his common room to sulk—_you should have known she'd never choose you over the precious Potter and Weasley,_ the snide voice in his mind commented, Hermione burst through the library doors like the hounds of Hell were chasing her after her. "Draco!" she called her red, slightly puffy eyes frantically searching for him. Draco felt his heart leap. _She didn't forget about me after all. _ He frowned at the sight of her red eyes. _Was she crying_ He felt a pang of guilt. _It was probably my fault.__  
_

"Miss Granger! This is a library, not your common room! I would have thought you would have more respect than this. Kindly take your hysterics elsewhere if you're going to behave that way, young lady!" Madam Pince, the librarian cast a fierce glare in Hermione's direction. Draco felt a swell of indignation rise up in him at Madam Pince's harsh dismissal and before he knew what he was doing, he was rushing forward and words were tumbling smoothly out of his mouth.

"Don't send her away, Madam Pince. It's my fault she is so worked up. I assure you we will be nothing but the epitome of proper behavior, just allow her to stay."

Out of the corner of his eye, Draco saw Hermione's mouth drop open. _What? Do you still believe me incapable of being nice to you?_ He supposed he couldn't really blame her. Had their positions been reversed, he was certain he would be suspicious of any out of character behavior. Madam Pince narrowed her eyes at him. _Oh come on you old biddy, she didn't even do anything except shout my name. Hardly grounds for dismissal._ She sniffed. "Very well, but any more displays like that and you both will be out on your ears!"

Draco inclined his head. "Of course," he said respectfully, though inside he was rolling his eyes. _How could I have ever thought Granger was a stick in the mud with people like Pince around?_ He turned towards Hermione, who was still standing with her mouth dropped open in shock and smiled lightly. "Shall we go back to our spot?" He made a sweeping gesture with his arms for her to go first, indicating that he would follow, not caring who saw him. _Which is probably foolish, but what the hell._

* * *

Hermione stood dumbly for a moment before hastily snapping her mouth shut and moving forward in front of Draco's outstretched arm. _Oh come on Hermione, you just berated the boys for this kind of thinking, and here you go gaping like a fish at the first gall__ant gesture Draco makes. But he'd never done something like in front of an audience..._she glanced curiously at the students around them, a few of them watching them with interest. _Oh lord, the tongues will be wagging now,_ she thought glumly. Lavender and Parvati would probably pounce on her the moment she stepped into the room. _But you knew it would be like this, _ she told herself silently. _Being friends with Draco Malfoy was never going to be an easy task._ She set her mouth into a resolute line and made her way to her and Draco's study spot. _That's no reason to falter now._

She spun around when she felt Draco come up behind her and for a moment the words got caught in her throat as she looked up into his eyes. She felt a swooping sensation in the pit of her stomach and her heart skipped a beat. _When did this happen? _She wondered silently. Quickly she shook off any wayward thoughts about Draco's lips and any sensations in the pit of her stomach. They had serious issues to discuss. "I meant what I said, you know," she suddenly blurted.

Draco looked confused for a moment. _Damn. This isn't how I wanted to start this_. She took a breath. "I mean, I meant what I said back there, to Harry and Ron. I want you in my life Draco, even if I'm not sure in what way yet. But you've got to make some sacrifices if you want this too." She looked up at him anxiously, trying to gage his reaction, but his face gave nothing away. He silently stood there, listening intently and now that she had started, Hermione couldn't quite control the stream of words pouring out of her mouth.

"I can't be friends with you if you are going to continue on the way you were before. I can't deal with you constantly baiting my friends and talking down about my blood status. I realize this might be hard for you and that you've got a status to uphold..." she trailed off. "But this will be hard for me too. It's no more in character for me to be with you than it is for you to be with me. We've been enemies for so long Draco..."

The sound of his name seemed to jolt him into reality. "You're absolutely right, Hermione," he said. She felt a wild hope rise in her chest. "But I can't just ignore how I've been raised or my House principles." Her face fell and the hope that had been rising in her chest flickered out like a flame doused with water. _So he hasn't changed. Foolish Hermione..._

Draco's eyes widened. "That doesn't mean I don't want to be friends, Hermione. I want to be with you very much," he said earnestly.

"Then how can you say you can't give up your House principles?" she retorted, feeling ridiculously betrayed.

Draco sighed and took a breath as if steeling himself for a painful admission. Hermione looked up in interest and curiosity. "It wouldn't be safe for me to suddenly become friends with the Gryffindor Golden Girl," he said patiently, as if Hermione was missing something important. My father..." he trailed off, an uncertain look crossing his face. Hermione's eyes widened. _Of course. His father is the biggest muggleborn hater of them all, next to__ You-Know-Who. If Draco suddenly changed his ways, who knows what could happen to him?_

"Oh Draco, I wasn't thinking," said Hermione putting a hand on his arm. "Of course this would be as hard for you as it would be for me." _Still, there has to be a way…_ She frowned and bit her lip in concentration. "I guess," she said slowly and eyeing Draco as if he might run away at any moment; she paused. _His next answer determines everything. If he's not willing to change, we can't continue this relationship._ She took a deep breath. "What side are you on in this War?"

* * *

Draco jerked away in surprise. _Out of all the questions she could have asked, __**that's**__ the one she decided to lead with?_ He shook his head, trying to organize his thoughts. _I'm not ready for this…_ He looked down at Hermione, who was leaning forward and watching him anxiously. She was biting her lip so hard he thought it was amazing she hadn't drawn blood. "I…" he started, but faltered. "I don't support You-Know-Who," he blurted, surprising himself and quickly looked about to see if anyone had been listening in. He hadn't heard much about the madman's operations since his dad kept a tight lid on anything illegal he might be doing, but what he did know didn't appeal to him. _Not that it really matters what I think._ "But I don't have a choice," he added bitterly.

Hermione frowned. "There's always a choice, Draco," she said firmly.

"Not when your dad forces you or You-Know-Who threatens your family," said Draco darkly. "What would you do, Hermione?"

She looked shocked. _You have no idea the pressures I'm under,_ Draco thought. Hermione let out a ragged breath. "I'm so sorry. I really had no idea. I suppose the boys and I always thought you enjoyed acting like a…" she trailed off, a blush staining her cheeks.

"A prat?" Draco finished for her, smirking. Hermione nodded. "I can't say I don't enjoy getting a rise out of Potter and Weasley," he said with a smile, then frowned. "But as for the rest, I am expected to act a certain way to uphold the Malfoy name."

"Will being friends with me jeopardize that?" Hermione asked.

Draco shrugged. "My father won't like it. The other pureblood girls will hate you for it, and it could be dangerous if You-Know-Who finds out." He threw a glance over his shoulder to make sure no one was looked and slipped an arm around Hermione's waist. He smirked when she gasped softly. "Does that bother you?" he asked softly.

Hermione snorted softly and shook her head against his chest. "No. I couldn't give a damn what your father or the pureblood girls think. And as for You-Know-Who, well, I'm likely going to be a target anyway, being one of Harry's best friends. The real question is, can _you_ handle that? Because I'm going to be a main target. What if you father asks you to lure me in?"

Draco tightened his grip on her. "I wouldn't do that," he said fiercely. _I'm not that kind of person. I won't become m__y father._

To his surprise, Hermione laughed softly. "I know you wouldn't," she said. "But realistically, what would you do?"

Draco stared down at her, amazed. _How can she place her trust in me so easily? I've never been anything but horrible to her._ "I don't know," he answered honestly, feeling a bit bereft without a proper answer. _I truly have no idea._ "But I wouldn't let anything happen to you." Hermione didn't answer. Her eyebrows were furrowed and she was biting her lip again.

"Dumbledore could help," she said finally. "We could go to him and get your protection. You'd probably have to play a double role for a while; keep up the facade that we hate each other while still being friends in secret. Could you do that?"

Draco was speechless for a moment. _It would never work._ "Dumbledore wouldn't trust a Slytherin," he said bitterly.

"He trusts Professor Snape," Hermione said matter-of-factly. "And it's no secret how much Professor Snape loathes Gryffindors. He would give you a chance."

Draco shook his head. "I don't know." _It's too risky._

"Harry and Ron would probably have to know too. They might even need Professor Dumbledore to tell them, otherwise they'd never believe you. I don't imagine it would be hard to keep up the act with them though, right?"

Draco snorted. "Not at all." _Mocking Potter and Weasley is almost too easy._ "It would be hard not to mean it to them though. I'm not the only one who has been an enemy. Potter never exactly welcomed me with open arms you know."

He felt Hermione's shoulders droop a bit. "I know," she sighed. "But you have to understand that Harry has been picked on all his life. Life with his aunt and uncle is almost equivalent to living with Umbridge."

Draco pulled a face. _She can't be serious._ Hermione saw his face and laughed again. _That's such a beautiful sound...Merlin, what is wrong with me? The next thing I know I'll be thinking her bush of a hair is charming._ "Okay, so maybe it's not _that_ bad. But it's pretty bad. They've practically starved him before, and for eleven years they kept him in the cupboard under the stairs!"

His mouth dropped open in disbelief. _Potter, the Savior of the Wizarding World was kept in a cupboard? No way._ "That can't be true," Draco said a bit doubtfully.

"It is," Hermione said sagely. "Harry didn't even know about magic until Hagrid showed up with his letter. He didn't even know how his parents died." She suddenly flushed red. "I probably shouldn't have told you all of that. Harry would be furious if he knew you knew."

Draco was in shock. _All__ this time, and we've thought he was a bleeding prince of the wizarding world, and turns out he didn't even know it existed until five years ago! And to suddenly find out you're You-Know-Who's main target..._ He exhaled loudly. "I suppose there is a lot I don't know."

Hermione slipped her small hand into his. "I can help you, if you want." He tried not to be distracted about how pleasant it feel to have Hermione's hand in his. _Come on. What is there to consider? You've seen what your future could be like. __Do you really want to throw that chance away?_

"Alright," he said finally. "I'll do it. Take me to Dumbledore."

If Draco had told Hermione she had just won a lifetime supply of free books from Flourish and Blotts, he doubted her smile would be half as bright as the one she was wearing now. She was grinning ear to ear and ecstatically threw her arms around his neck. "I knew you would do the right thing," she said giddily. Draco was about to protest when her lips suddenly found his, and she was kissing him fiercely. _Perhaps switching sides won't be so bad after all._


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note:** Again, I apologize for the wait. Work has been keeping me dreadfully busy as of late. I hope this chapter makes up for it. Thank you to all you have left reviews and added this story to your alerts and favorites lists!

* * *

**Chapter 9**

"Come on!" said Hermione in a slightly breathless voice, dragging Draco along behind her. She had her hand wrapped tightly around his and was walking at top speed. Draco had no problem keeping up with her since his legs were much longer than hers, but unlike Hermione, who was hurrying towards Dumbledore's office with great excitement, he was lagging behind. He trusted Hermione but did not have her optimism. _Dumbledore is liable to throw me out. What reason does he have to trust the son of a Death Eater?_ He brooded in silence as they walked.

Hermione was glancing around the corridors as they walked, her eyes peeled for any approaching students or worse, Professor Umbridge. Draco shared her caution. The last thing he wanted was to be caught by another student holding hands with Hermione Granger. _Not that I'm ashamed of her,_ he hastily thought to himself. In his mind, the frowning face of Naomi stared back at him. _I'm not ashamed, _he thought again, as if trying to reason with the little girl. A moment later he shook his head at his line of thought. _I've really lost it now, haven't __I? __Here I am, on my way to declare my allegiance to the Light and I'm arguing with a nonexistent little girl._ As if miffed by this thought, Naomi tossed her head haughtily as Draco had often seen Hermione do, and stalked off to some far corner of his mind, a second girl with blonde curls trailing after her.

He came to a sudden halt and nearly walked straight into Hermione, who had stopped abruptly and gasped. Draco followed her line of sight and saw immediately what had shocked her. Professor Snape had appeared from around the corner, his dark robes billowing around him and looking as unpleasant as ever. His black eyes caught sight of them and darted down to their entwined hands, which Hermione had made no move to separate. Draco resisted the urge to yank his hand from hers. _It's too late now. Snape already saw us and will demand an explanation._ He steeled himself for questions, his face curling into his signature sneer. Teasing Hermione while in the potions lab somehow felt different than walking about the corridors hand in hand with her and he felt no desire to explain it to his Head of House.

"What are you two doing?" Snape demanded. His eyes once again flicked down to their entwined hands and Draco felt Hermione tighten her grip. It was a testimony to how much she trusted Dumbledore, Draco realized, that she kept her grip on his hand. _"He trusts Professor Snape,"_ she had said. It looked like she truly believed it.

"We're going to see Professor Dumbledore, Sir," Hermione said. She met Snape's gaze almost defiantly, as if daring him to say something against them. _Don't push it Hermione, _Draco thought exasperatedly. At the same time, he couldn't help but feel a small blossom of admiration for the way she stood up to Professor Snape. Many lesser students would have quailed beneath his menacing gaze, but Hermione stood her ground.

Snape's upper lip curled. "The Headmaster is busy," he said shortly.

Hermione was not deterred. "We must see him," she said. "It's important." Again Snape's eyes went to their hands and he lifted an eyebrow at Draco. _I need to confirm it,_ Draco realized.

"Granger's right," he said. He could tell Hermione was surprised by his speaking since she straightened up quickly and glanced back at him.

Snape said nothing for a few moments, then gave them a curt nod. "Very well," he said quietly. "I will take you to him." He turned around and swept down the hallway, leaving them with no other option but to follow. Draco's stomach fell slightly. He didn't want Snape listening in on this conversation. _Snape is too close to my father. If he thinks it will benefit him, he might..._ Draco gritted his teeth. He would simply have to tell Dumbledore he wished to speak to him alone.

Snape led them down the corridor, not looking back once. Hermione continued to pull Draco forward, walking even faster to keep up with Snape's long strides. All three of them were silent and it seemed to Draco they arrived all too soon at the stone gargoyle which guarded Dumbledore's office. "Fizzing Whizbee," Snape muttered to the gargoyle and Draco nearly gasped as it began to move, revealing a staircase that spiraled upwards. Snape stepped lightly on it to as though he had done it a thousand times—_which he probably had_, thought Draco—and Hermione did the same, pulling Draco along behind her.

As they rose slowly on the staircase, Draco felt his heart begin to pound and he wondered if Hermione could hear it. _It's too __soon;__ I need more time to think about this, I don't even know what I'm g__oing to say!_ he thought wildly. He glanced at Hermione, whose eyes were sparkling with some kind of excitement or possibly apprehension, but she looked nowhere near as nervous as Draco felt. _Tell me I'm doing the right thing,_ he thought, wishing there was someone who could reassure him. From the corners of his mind, Naomi and Evanna reappeared, summoned by his need. They smiled at him. _Right. I'm doing this for them,_ Draco told himself. _And for Hermione, because she's right. And she's worth it._

When they reached the top of the staircase, Snape rapped on the thick wooden door in front of them twice. From inside they heard a soft "Enter," from Dumbledore and the door swung open. Draco tried not to gape as they stepped inside, but it was no use. They were standing inside an oval office, surrounded on all sides by painting of past headmasters, most of whom were dozing in there frames. Many spindly tables sat in various spots in the room, covered with intricate silver devices, the purpose of which Draco had no idea. He spotted the ragged Sorting Hat on the top shelf of a bookcase along the far wall and a gleaming silver sword with huge rubies embedded in the hilt. He remembered hearing that Potter had used it to kill the basilisk in their second year. _So it must b__e the sword of Godric Gryffindor._ He blinked in surprise at the magnificent red and gold bird sitting on a perch behind Dumbledore's desk. _It's a phoenix,_ he thought in awe. He recognized it from his studies in Care of Magical Creatures. When the bird saw him staring, it keened softly and Draco suddenly felt a surge of strength and hope flood through him. He relaxed minutely.

"Severus, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" asked Dumbledore, his bright blue eyes sweeping over Draco and Hermione and catching sight of their hands. His eyes twinkled and Draco felt himself blush. _It's not like he doesn't already know about the dream, so there's no need to be __embarrassed__._ But the feeling lingered all the same.

Snape looked highly annoyed, as though he had just been put through a great inconvenience. "It is no pleasure, Headmaster," he said. "Mister Malfoy and Miss Granger claim to have something of great importance to discuss with you." He sneered at the pair of them. _What is his problem?_

Dumbledore looked at them with great interest. "Well then, thank you for bringing them to me Severus. I shall certainly listen to their concerns. You may go now."

Draco tried not to sigh in relief. This was going to be hard enough without an audience, especially Snape. Professor Snape's eyes narrowed slightly at his obvious dismissal. "Headmaster, as this deals with a student in my House, I feel I should be here to hear his concerns," he said with a frown. Draco looked sharply at Dumbledore, pleading with his eyes and hoping Dumbledore wouldn't agree.

He needn't have worried. Dumbledore smiled lightly and said, "I understand your concern, Severus, however, I will hear Mister Malfoy's concerns and send him on to you if necessary. I will speak to the boy alone."

Snape's lips tightened and he glared at the pair of them, especially Hermione, as if this was entirely her fault. Draco began to think all those times Potter and his gang of Gryffindors had complained about Snape's unfairness to them wasn't entirely convinced they weren't right. _He has no __reason to be mad at Hermione. I'm the one who wants to be left alone._

"Very well," said Snape curtly and he spun on his heel and left the room without another word. Dumbledore stared at the door for a few moments before placing his piercing gaze upon Draco and Hermione. No one said anything for a minute or so. _Where do I even start?_

Finally Dumbledore broke the silence. "What can I do for you today, Mister Malfoy and Miss Granger? Am I right in guessing this has something to do with your recent dream as a result of your unfortunate Potions accident?"

Draco opened his mouth to answer but no sound came out. Thankfully, Hermione filled in for him. "Yes Professor," she gushed. Draco saw her glance at him before continuing. "Actually, it's not about the dream itself but what the dream has caused us to realize, Sir," she said very rapidly. Dumbledore leaned forward.

"Indeed?" he asked softly, his gaze resting on Draco, who felt his insides squirm a bit. _It's like he's looking right throu__gh me._

"Yes, well, it's just that, since the dream we..." Hermione trailed off, unsure of how to continue. Draco felt sure this was one of the only times Hermione had ever struggled to come up with an answer. "We're much closer than we were," she said finally. Draco snorted softly. _That is an __understatement__._

"I see," said Dumbledore, as though he understood everything Hermione was trying to say with such a vague statement. "But as encouraging as it is to hear of inner-House relationships, I am sure that this is not what you had wanted to tell me," he said, gazing at them over the top of his half-moon spectacles.

"No, it isn't," Hermione agreed, but made no attempt to elaborate. She bit her lip and looked over at Draco, her eyes wide. "Draco?" she whispered so softly he almost didn't hear it. His heart seized. _This is it. I have to do this._

He opened his mouth, but it suddenly felt like it was full of cotton. Nothing came out. He swallowed hard. _Just say it. __Don't__ be a coward, Draco._ Never before had it been so hard to say anything. He took a deep breath and felt Hermione give his hand a squeeze. "I want to join the Light side," he blurted. He looked into Dumbledore's eyes earnestly, suddenly realizing how worried he was about the answer. _He won't say no, ri__ght? Hermione said he would protect me. What about my family?_

Dumbledore's eyes brightened and he looked as though he was witnessing something rare and beautiful. Draco fidgeted a bit under his gaze. "This is excellent news indeed, Mister Malfoy. May I ask what has prompted this decision?"

Draco glanced at Hermione. _Isn't it obvious?_ "Well Sir, it's just that I've been through a lot of different experiences over the last few days. Things suddenly seem clearer and at the same time more confusing than ever." Dumbledore nodded in understanding and Draco continued, fearing that if he didn't say everything now he would never have the courage to say it again. "Hermione has helped me realize what is right." Suddenly Dumbledore's words from the previous year's end of term feast came back to him. _"Dark times lie ahead of us and there will be a time when we must choose between what is easy and what is right."_ Guilt gnawed at him. Dumbledore was speaking about the death of Cedric Diggory, but Draco had only been half listening, instead whispering with his fellow Slytherins about Potter and his wild stories. _Except they weren't just stories. Potter told the truth. He's always telling the truth..._ He swallowed his guilt and looked up at the Headmaster. "Will you help me Sir?"

* * *

Hermione held her breath as she looked between Draco and Dumbledore, her heart pounding in her chest. At the desperate look on Draco's face, she felt a twinge in her heart. She hadn't really thought how difficult this was going to be for him. _Ma__ybe I should have given him more time to think things over before going to Dumbledore,_ she fretted silently.

The tension was broken by Dumbledore beaming at the pair of them and saying in a soft voice, "My dear boy, of course I will help you." At once Hermione's face split into a wide smile and Draco's shoulders drooped in relief. "Have a seat," said Dumbledore, gesturing at the chairs behind them. "Lemon drop?" He held out a tin of the gooey candies.

Hermione stared at him in disbelief. _Does he have any __idea how hard that just was for Draco? I hardly think now is the time for candy._ "No thank you, Professor," said Hermione, hoping none of her perplexity came through in her tone. She glanced at Draco, who had sunk into the chair beside her and was shaking his head.

"Very well," said Dumbledore lightly, replacing the tin of candy back on the edge of his desk. He regarded Draco for a moment with a sort of grandfatherly expression before speaking. "I realize, even if you do not yet fully understand it, that this decision will have serious effects on you and your family in the coming war. I must ask you…"

"I do," Draco interrupted. Hermione blinked and looked at him with concern. Draco was staring at his feet, but when Dumbledore paused he lifted his head and repeated, "I do understand, Sir." He took a deep breath and Hermione creased her eyebrow, wondering what Draco was steeling himself to say. _Whatever it is, he's certainly worried about it. He looks as though his world is about to shatter…_

"I do understand," Draco said again. "That's why I want to ask you, Sir, to protect my family as well." Hermione's stomach fell. _We can't protect Mister Malfoy, there's no way he will abandon Voldemort._ This thought seemed to suddenly occur to Draco as well. "If not my father, then at least say you'll protect my mother," he said, a bit of desperation creeping into his voice.

Again Dumbledore regarded Draco silently for a few moments, until Hermione thought she would explode if he didn't give an answer. "If you are true in your convictions, Mister Malfoy, I will help you and all of your family that wish for my protection." Hermione's heart soared. _I knew Dumbledore could help!_ "However, another decision lies before you, Mister Malfoy. I can provide you and your family with protection, yes. But it depends on what role you would like to play in the war." Hermione felt her nervousness return and she looked at Draco anxiously. His face was very pale and had a pinched look to it, bringing out the pointedness of his chin. "If you desire," continued Dumbledore as if he were discussing a schedule of classes rather than dangerous wartime roles, "I can arrange for you and your family to go into hiding. I can personally guarantee the safe house I place you in would have a miniscule chance of ever being found by Voldemort or his Death Eaters."

Hermione felt rather than saw Draco flinch violently at the use of Voldemort's name and she repressed a shudder of her own. _Dumbledore and Harry use his name, so there's no reason I shouldn't be able to too._ She turned her attention back to the conversation as Dumbledore continued.

"The other option available to you would be much more dangerous, but also much more useful." Hermione sucked in a sharp breath, silently willing Dumbledore not to utter the words she was so certain he would. _Please don't ask him…_ she begged. "It would require you to continue acting as you have always done, but acting as spy for our side."

"No!" The word was out of Hermione's mouth before she could stop it. Both Draco and Dumbledore looked at her. She flushed. "It's too dangerous, Professor. You can't possibly ask Draco to…"

Dumbledore held up a hand to stop her. "I would not dream of sending Draco into unnecessary danger, Miss Granger," he said calmly.

"Then what…" Hermione burst out.

Again Dumbledore held up a hand to stop her. "Draco would merely keep an open ear for the happenings among the students, Miss Granger. Adults often misjudge the depth of children's emotions and understanding and children do not tell adults everything. As Headmaster of this school, my first priority is the safety of its students. The seeds of darkness are sown at a young age and adolescents are easy to manipulate. They feel things so strongly," he said, a bit of a faraway look in his eyes. Hermione thought she saw regret behind those blue eyes, but it was gone before she could examine it. "Lord Voldemort likes to start recruiting young, Miss Granger, and he does not limit himself to Slytherin House. I would like to protect as many young lives as I can. If Mister Malfoy is willing, he can help me in this task."

Silence fell over the office and for several minutes the only sounds that could be heard were the quiet snores of the past Headmasters in their portraits, the whirring of the silver contraptions on their spindly table and the soft ticking of an ancient looking grandfather clock behind the desk. Inside Hermione was fuming. _How dare he ask Draco to do such a thing! He was supposed to offer protection, not give him a job that puts him in more danger!__ He's only fifteen! How could he ask for such responsibility?_ Questions like these continued to fly through Hermione's mind. Beside her, Draco didn't move. He seemed to be frozen to the spot, thinking hard. His face was hidden from her view as he stared resolutely at his feet. _He just wants to stay alive,_ thought Hermione bitterly.

Unbidden, a small voice piped up in the back of her mind. _Harry and Ron wanted to join the Order. They wouldn't hesitate to take a chance like this to help. Why should Draco?_ She gritted her teeth. _Because Mrs. Weasley is right. We're only kids! There's no need for us to fight._

"I'll do it." Draco's shaky voice suddenly rang out in the office, breaking the silence. Hermione's head snapped up and her mouth dropped open in shock. She stared at Draco's face, set into a determined grimace. Dumbledore nodded slowly. Hermione felt like the world was tipping on its side. _He can't possibly mean…_

"I'll do it," Draco repeated in a stronger voice. "I'll spy for you, Professor Dumbledore. I'll do my part for the Light."


	10. Chapter 10

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note:** Sorry for the long wait. I update when I can. Thank you to all of you who have left reviews and added this story to your alerts and favorites lists!

**Chapter 10**

Hermione's mouth fell open. "No!" she cried, staring in shock at both Draco and Dumbledore. "Draco, you can't! Professor, how could you ask him that?" She shook her head violently. _This can't be happening!_ The room still felt like it was tilting dangerously and Hermione felt slightly faint. _How did it come to this? He was only supposed to offer Dr__aco protection, not give him a job. What does Draco need to prove?_ She grabbed Draco by the arm. "Draco! You don't have to do this. You've got nothing to prove. There's no need for you to, to..." she sputtered into silence.

Slowly, Draco shook his head. "I think I do, Hermione," he said. "I'm not just signing up to be a coward. A life without fear of the Dark Lord is one worth fighting for. You showed me that. I can't expect others to do the fighting while I hide away. This is the best option." He swallowed hard, and Hermione could see fear and determination in his face.

"This is ridiculous!" she cried, completely outraged. She turned towards Dumbledore. "Professor, surely you can't mean to go through with this?"

Dumbledore eyed her calmly over his half-moon spectacles. "If Mister Malfoy is prepared to take on this challenge, Miss Granger, I most certainly am. He will be in no immediate danger while at school, and if he continues to behave as normal, no one will suspect a thing. The decision lies entirely with him."

Hermione goggled at him. _He can't be serious._ "But Professor! How can you say he will be completely safe here at Hogwarts? Just look at the things that have happened here in the past four years alone!" she cried. Draco's eyes widened at her outburst. Hermione blushed but did not regret her words. _Even if they do incriminate the Headmaster a bit, it's true. Just look at all the dangers Harry's been through over the last few years. If someone suspected Draco, there's no telling what could happen t__o him._

"Hermione, it's my decision," Draco said quietly. Hermione spun around to face him.

"But," she began, but he cut her off.

"It's wonderful that you are so concerned about me, Hermione, but I assure you, I am quite capable of taking care of myself _and_ making my own decisions. I don't need you to fight my battles."

Hermione was shocked into speechlessness. She couldn't think of a single thing to say in response. Anger, frustration and anxiety welled up inside her, but before she could muster up a retort, Dumbledore interrupted. "I think, Miss Granger," he said firmly, "that this is a conversation Mister Malfoy and I should have alone. You may return to your dormitory and talk to Draco later. I'm sure he will tell you anything he feels important to share. Thank you, Miss Granger."

Hermione bristled at the dismissal. _Now I know how Professor Snape felt earlier, _she thought bitterly. She opened her mouth to argue, but caught a pleading gaze from Draco that made her stop in her tracks. _I suppose it is__ his decision, but I'm still not happy about it._ "Just don't make any rash decisions, Draco," she said finally. She gave Dumbledore a curt nod and spun on her heel, leaving the room in the same angry manner that Snape had done.

She fumed all the way back to Gryffindor Tower, angrily snapping the password to the Fat Lady and striding into the common room in a state of great agitation. She spotted Ron and Harry placing a game of wizard chess in the corner of the room and started to head toward them before she remembered their fight and that Harry wasn't talking to her. Angry tears began to sting the corners of her eyes and brushed them away furiously. She turned away, intending to head up to her dorm, but Ron spotted her and cried out, "Hermione!" She froze and Ron leapt out of his chair, ignoring Harry's glowering look. He caught sight of her tears and immediately his face darkened. "What happened? What's wrong? Are you alright?" he said in a rush.

Despite her distress and her anger over earlier events, Hermione felt a surge of affection for Ron. He could often be a tactless prat, but there were other times when his compassion appeared at precisely the right moment. This was one of those times.

Her shoulders drooped and her whole body seemed to deflate as the events of the day crashed down on her and she burst into tears. "It's n-nothing, R-ron," she stuttered helplessly. "I'm f-f-fine."

Ron ignored this and rushed to her side, steering her towards the door of the boys' dormitory. "Come on, let's get you out of here," he said gently, throwing a nasty glare at a group of second years who were staring unabashedly at the sobbing Hermione. "Come on Harry," Ron called. Hermione hiccuped and stopped at the foot of the stairs. _Will he come?_ She glanced over her shoulder to see Harry standing rigidly beside the abandoned chess table. His face was blurry through her tears, but she was sure she could see Harry's stony face, torn between anger and some other emotion, possibly concern.

Just when Hermione was sure Harry would turn away, he strode forward after her and Ron, causing a renewed flood of tears to roll down Hermione's cheeks. _He's still angry with me, he didn't have to come!_ Ron patted her on the back, looking worriedly between Harry and Hermione. "Let's just get upstairs," he said, looking eager to get out of the common room. Hermione allowed him to guide her up the stairs, Harry following a few paces behind them.

_Come on Hermione, get a grip!_ She tried to calm herself as they walked, but when Ron sat her down on his bed and handed her a handkerchief, she burst into renewed tears. "I-I d-don't know why you're b-being so n-n-nice to me," she sobbed.

Ron looked bewildered and a bit guilty at this outburst. "We're friends, Hermione," he said almost questioningly. Hermione blinked and she saw he was again looking between her and Harry. "It's what friends do, even if they act like prats sometimes." Hermione hiccupped and gave a little laugh. Ron looked pleased. "There. So why don't you tell us what's got you in this sorry state?"

Hermione's face darkened and she sagged a little. "D-Draco..."

Harry was standing in front of her before the name left her mouth. "What did Malfoy do?" he demanded. His face looked murderous.

Hermione frowned. _Always quick to assume it__'s Draco's fault. I suppose I shouldn't expect anything else._ "It's more like w-what he _didn't_ do," she said, reaching up to wipe away her tears.

"Did he hurt you? What did he say? I swear, I'll hex that twitchy ferret six ways to Sunday..." Harry hand his hand in his pocket and his wand drawn before any of them could blink. That, more than anything, sobered Hermione up. She straightened up and fixed Harry with a disapproving glare.

"He didn't do anything to hurt me! And you won't be doing anything of the sort" she sniffed. Ron looked confused.

"Then what's happened to turn you into a human hosepipe?"

Hermione gave him an exasperated look. "Honestly Ronald. A hosepipe?"

"You were crying an _awful_ lot," he defended.

"Yes, well, it all just hit me, I suppose. I just haven't had time to process it—I mean, I never thought Professor Dumbledore would ask Draco to do something so outrageous—he's a student, not even of age! And the worst part..."

"Wait, wait, _wait._ Dumbledore asked Malfoy to do _what?_" Harry interrupted, looking keenly at Hermione.

Her eyebrows knit together to form a v. "He asked Draco to _spy_ for our side, to find out which students You-Know-Who is trying to recruit, as if He would even bother with students at all, the very idea is ridiculous..."

"WHAT?" bellowed Harry and Ron together. Ron looked shocked, Harry just looked furious. Hermione, forgetting that Harry was supposed to be mad at her nodded vigorously, taking his fury to match her own.

"I know, I simply can't believe it. Professor Dumbledore was supposed to _help_ Draco, not give him a job! He doesn't need to prove anything. He proved himself by actually lowering himself to ask for help! Not that asking for help is lowering yourself, but he might see it that way..." she rambled off, biting her bottom lip to stop her flow of words. Now that she had voiced her concerns, the words just wouldn't stop coming. _How could Dumbledore have done this?_ "I just don't understand," she said helplessly.

"I don't understand either," said Harry harshly. Hermione's head snapped up at his tone. "I don't understand how Dumbledore could _possibly_ trust Malfoy. His father is a Death Eater!"

"Oh, so that automatically makes him one too," snapped Hermione angrily. _Of course Harry wasn't angry about the idea of u__sing a student to spy on You-Know-Who. Just that it's Malfoy._

"Yes!" shouted Harry.

Ron looked uneasy. "You have to admit Hermione, Malfoy hasn't exactly given us any reason to trust him. Why should Dumbledore believe him?"

"Because he didn't ask for this!" Hermione burst out. "All he wanted was for the Order to hide him and his mother..."

"So you told Malfoy about the Order too? What else did you tell him, Hermione?" demanded Harry.

"Nothing! And I didn't," said Hermione, looking offended. _As if I'd b__etray the Order. Have some faith in me, Harry! _"I told him that if he wanted to be friends with me, he'd have to decide which side he was standing on, because I couldn't be with someone who supported You-Know-Who."

"Wait, _be with_? As in together? As in boyfriend-girlfriend?" asked Ron suddenly. His voice had gone rather high-pitched.

"What?" said Hermione, alarmed. _I thought we could cross that bridge later._ "No! I mean, not exactly. We're still sorting things out, and I meant what I said about choosing a side..."

"You're really, actually considering going out with _Malfoy_?" asked Harry and Ron incredulously.

Hermione turned a deep shade of red. "If you must know, then _yes_. I am considering it, though I _really_ don't see how that concerns you." She huffed and crossed her arms, glaring at the pair of them. _What did you think I was doing when you caught us snogging earlier? Honestly, boys._

"Oh course it concerns us!" Ron exploded. "We're your best friends, Hermione!"

"Oh, so that means you get to dictate who I date?" Hermione asked sharply. Ron quailed a bit under her gaze, but Harry's face hardened.

"It does if it's Malfoy you're dating, Hermione. How do you know he's not just using you to get close to me?"

Hermione bristled. _As if he would…as if I __would let him…_ She put held put a finger at Harry. "You listen to me, Harry Potter. I am perfectly capable of figuring out why a guy like Malfoy would want to go out with me. And contrary to popular belief, everything is not about you!"

"But it's Malfoy!" Harry exploded angrily.

"Yes, and that's not a good enough reason not to date him. I happen to know him a mite better than you two," Hermione sniffed. _This is getting us nowhere!_

"That was a _dream_, Hermione! This is reality!" Harry was really red in the face now. Ron glanced between the two of them, his ears as red as Harry's face, though Hermione's furious gaze was far worse.

"I could believe you, Harry, if my opinion of Draco was based on the dream only. But he's proven to me that it wasn't just a dream. He wants to make amends for the past and make a better future." She let out a despairing breath and seemed to deflate suddenly, all the fight going out of her. "Why don't you trust my judgment?" she whispered.

"You can be wrong, Hermione," Harry said stubbornly.

"And so can you," retorted Hermione. She glared at both boys and gave a disgusted sigh. "This isn't working. I never thought I'd see the day when Harry Potter took the easy way out."

Hermione…" started Ron, but she cut him off.

"I don't want to hear it, Ron. I'm going to bed. Good night!" She turned on her heel and stomped out of the dormitory, leaving Harry and Ron staring dumbly after her, shock and anger mingled on their faces. _I will make them see I'm right. Just you wait._

* * *

Meanwhile, in Dumbledore's office, Draco stood nervously before the Headmaster, his heart pounding and his hands cold and clammy. The office was silent after Hermione's angry departure, and Draco didn't know what to say next. He suddenly wished he could call her back, just to boost his confidence. But it was too late now. _There's no going back. I have to do this._ He straightened up and his face became the smooth mask of indifference and haughtiness that often marked a Malfoy's face. _Father would be proud,_ he thought ironically.

"So, Mister Malfoy, you wish to do your part for the Light," said Dumbledore calmly, breaking the terrible silence. Draco was secretly glad he had spoken first.

"Yes Sir. Sooner or later I will have to pick a side. I want to be on the side that is right."

"It may be dangerous," said Dumbledore, eyeing him steadily.

Draco gulped. "I know, Sir."

"I see your time with Miss Granger has affected you in more ways than one," said Dumbledore with a smile. "Tell me, why did you decide to step forward now?"

Draco was shocked for a moment. _Didn't I already answer that?_ He took a deep breath. "Honestly, Professor, if I hadn't had that dream with Hermione, none of this would have happened. But as it is..." He hesitated for a moment, thought of Hermione, Naomi, Evanna and the unborn baby and continued. "I glimpsed a different future, one that could be mine if I wanted it. Well, I do want it. And I'm very accustomed to getting what I want, whatever it takes."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Yes, I am aware of that. I can see why the Sorting Hat didn't hesitate to put you in Slytherin. But may I ask, Mister Malfoy, what happens if what you want changes? Love is a fickle thing Draco, and heartbreak can drive a man to do terrible things. How do I know you won't decide that a future with Hermione isn't what you want anymore?"

Draco felt a faint blush stain his cheeks. _Love? That's a bit strong, isn't it? I mean, I like Hermione, but is it really love?_ He cleared his throat. "You don't," said Draco, surprising himself. Dumbledore raised his eyebrows, but remained silent. Emboldened, Draco continued. "I'm afraid I can't offer you any guarantee of my feelings, Sir. I can only offer you myself, as I am right now. I want to prove to myself that I deserve Hermione's friendship. I can do that by standing up for what is right and doing my best to help. If spying is what you need, Professor, I can help. Intrigue is the playground of Slytherins, after all." He stopped suddenly, smirking a little and feeling slightly shocked by his declaration. _I mean it. Every word. Dumbledore can take it or leave it, I suppose._

After an agonizing minute of silence, during which Dumbledore's piercing gaze lingered on Draco, the Headmaster finally spoke. "I believe you, Draco. And I won't ask any more of you, for now."

Draco let out a breath of relief he didn't know he was holding. "Thank you, Sir. What will you need me to do?"

"I want you to keep an open ear and a watchful eye on your classmates. I don't want any student to feel they have no other choice but to follow Lord Voldemort, and I certainly don't want any student feeling threatened inside these walls. Unfortunately, young people do not always trust the adults in their life to help with such problems. You can help them Draco. Report back to me in two weeks' time with as much information as you can give me. Do not, of course, let anyone know what you are doing. We will decide on a further course of action when we next meet. Do you have any questions, my boy?"

Draco was silent for a moment, taking it all in. _He believes me. He's not questioning my motives __or calling me a liar…he's letting me prove myself. Maybe the old man isn't as biased as we thought._ "No Sir," he finally managed to say. Draco felt a small stab of guilt when he remembered Hermione's reaction to being given this job, but he pushed it aside. _She'll have to accept it. If Potter and Weasley can risk their necks to save the day, why can't I?_

Dumbledore nodded. "Very well. You should return to your dormitory. I'm sure your friends will be wondering where you've been. Good night, Mister Malfoy."

"Right. Good night, Professor," said Draco absently. He turned and talked out of the office, barely paying attention to the whispering portraits of past Headmasters and Headmistresses on his way out, his mind much too full of the occurrences of the last hour to be bothered with anything else. He walked silently down the deserted halls, thinking hard. Finding out which Slytherins were being pressed by their parents to join the Dark Lord would be easy. It was a frequent common room conversation now, especially among those "privileged" few who had parents who had witnessed the Dark Lord's resurrection. Sorting out everyone's true feelings on the matter would be slightly more difficult, but Draco felt confident in his ability to do it. The name of Malfoy carried a lot of weight in the Slytherin House, and Draco would be using it to his full advantage.

As he came to the disguised patch of wall that served as the door of the Slytherin common room, he smirked to himself. _Who would have thought? Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin Spy. A hero, possibly. Has quite a nice ring to it, I think._ He laughed as he stepped into the common room. _Here goes nothing._


	11. Chapter 11

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note: **Thanks so much to everyone who's been reading this story. Your support is invaluable. Hope you enjoy the chapter, and if you have suggestions/requests for upcoming chapters, please don't hesitate to let me know in a PM or review!

Also: The text in **bold** are direct quotes from _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix._

* * *

Chapter 11

Breakfast the next morning was a somewhat tense affair. Hermione, as usual, got up long before the boys and was already sitting at the Gryffindor table, her Ancient Runes book open before her when they finally arrived in the Great Hall. Hermione felt their eyes on her immediately and gave them a haughty look. _Don't think I'll just forgive you if you refuse to give Draco a chance._ They paused on their way to the table and whispered something between them before approaching Hermione, looks of forced casualness on their faces.

"Morning, Hermione," Harry said. "Mind if we sit with you?"

Hermione raised her eyebrows nearly to her hairline. _So that's how you want to play it? Fine._ Still mistrustful of their casualness but wanting to move on, she nodded. "If you can keep your temper." Harry's mouth momentarily tightened as though he was holding back a retort, but he sat down without comment. Ron was much quicker to join her at the table, immediately piling his plate with the usual mound of sausages, eggs, toast and chicken.

She let the boys get their breakfast for a few moments before turning to Harry. **"I was wondering," Hermione said suddenly, "whether you'd thought anymore about Defense Against the Dark Arts, Harry." **

** "Course I have," Harry said grumpily. "Can't forget it, can we, with that hag teaching us―"**

** "I meant the idea Ron And I had" ― Ron cast her an alarmed, threatening kind of look; she frowned at him ― "oh, all right, the idea **_**I**_** had, then ― about you teaching us."** She looked at him expectantly, and even Ron paused in stuffing his mouth with food to hear his answer. _We've had enough lost time with this potions business, and it's past time for us to be doing something about this Umbridge woman._ Hermione took that moment to throw a scowl in Umbridge's direction at the staff table.

**Harry did not answer at once. **He suddenly became very interested in his breakfast. Hermione sighed internally. _Of course he doesn't want to answer. I just hope this means he has been thinking about it. _

Finally, after what felt like ages, Harry answered. **"Well, yeah, I ― I've thought about it a bit."**

_Which basically means a lot._ Hermione grinned in spite of herself. **"And?"**

** "I dunno," said Harry, playing for time. **Hermione forced herself to be patient.** He looked up at Ron.**

** "I thought it was a good idea form the start," said Ron, who seemed keener to join this conversation now that he was sure that Harry was not going to start shouting again.** Hermione felt a surge of gratitude for Ron's perfect timing. She needed his support in this, especially after what had happened when she first brought the idea up.

**Harry shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "You did listen to what I said about a load of it being luck, didn't you?"**

Hermione forced herself not to beam in triumph. Harry was just making excuses now. She was sure she could talk him into it. **"Yes, Harry," Hermione said gently, "but all the same, there's no point pretending that you're not good at Defense Against the Dark Arts, because you are."**She continued on what she thought was a quite good motivating speech, which was only briefly interrupted when she mentioned Victor ― _honestly, will I never be allowed to interact with another boy without Ron being bothered?_ She felt a small, guilty pang at this thought, but quickly quashed it down and continued speaking to Harry. After a few minutes of arguing, Hermione got Harry to agree to the idea, albeit a bit grudgingly, and they decided to have a meeting with a few interested students during the next Hogsmeade trip.

With her goal accomplished, Hermione wolfed down the rest of her now cold toast, gathered her books, and hurried away, claiming to want to knit a few hats for elves before class. _It's not entirely a lie,_ she told herself. She did need to do some knitting. She was horribly behind after her two-week "nap." _I'll just do that later. First I need to talk to Draco._ In her rush, she didn't see the contemplative looks on Harry and Ron's faces as she left, nor the suspicious way they whispered to each other as they watched her progress out of the Great Hall.

Once outside the Hall, Hermione headed for the library, hoping beyond hope that Draco would be hanging around to meet her. They would have to be extra careful in their meetings now, to avoid suspicion. _Especially if Draco agreed to Dumbledore's outrageous plan._ Hermione frowned. She knew, if Draco proved to be anything like Harry or Ron that he would. Striding purposefully into the library, Hermione first headed for the Charms section; there was a book she needed in preparation for their Hogsmeade meeting, then walked back to the back corner of the library.

When she rounded the corner, her heart lept as she caught sight of a familiar head of blond hair, and she couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face as she took his in tall form, lounging lazily at their table. He noticed her at once and gave her a disapproving look. "Granger," he said curtly.

"It's alright, there's no one in here," Hermione said quickly, sensing there was a derisive retort to come. Draco looked annoyed at being cut off, and for the smallest fraction of a second Hermione worried she had misjudged the whole situation and he was reverting back to his old ways.

"Thought you might turn up here," he said, his voice taking on a light, teasing tone. Hermione relaxed.

"I was hoping to find you here," Hermione said earnestly. "How did it go? With Dumbledore, I mean."

Draco snorted. "You certainly don't waste any time. No, 'good morning, Draco, it's nice to see you,' or anything. I'm disappointed."

Hermione's face fell for a moment, but just as quickly her resolve returned. "You know well as I that we might only have minutes to talk. I just wanted to know―"

"What I decided," Draco finished for her. He stood. "Of course. But I think you already know that answer, Hermione," he said, fixing her with a firm gaze.

Hermione bit her lip. _Damn you, Draco._ "Of course," she said quietly. "But..." she hesitated for a moment, thought of the secret defense group she and Harry and Ron were planning, then steeled herself. _Draco's got a right to fight too. And since I know Harry would never consent to teach him..._ "Just promise me you'll be careful, you know, when you do start this madness."

Draco smirked. "I've already begun," he said smoothly.

"What?" cired Hermione, forgetting to be quiet. "But how..."

Draco stepped forward and put a finger to Hermione's lips. "Ah-ah," he said, still smirking. "A spy never reveals his plans, or his secrets. And I am the soul of discretion."

Hermione brushed away his hand and tried not to blush at the feel of his fingers on her lips. "You're incorrigible, you mean" she said exasperatedly.

"What else did you expect?" Draco asked cheekily.

Hermione shook her head. "Nothing," said answered in the same exasperated tone. "Well, since I can't stop you, I should be heading to class..." she stopped when Draco took hold of her hand.

"And just where are you running off to so quickly?"

"I just said I need to get to class." Hermione tried to pull her hand away, but Draco held fast.

"No, you've got that wicked gleam in your eye, the one when you know something no one else does. And you're strangely complacent about my new activities," he remarked. "What little rebellion have you got planned now?"

_Does he really know me so well?_ Hermione mimicked his smirk. "I am the soul of discretion," she said vaguely, throwing his words back at him. Impulsively she stood on her tiptoes and placed a kiss on his cheek, then slipped out of his grasp before he could react. "Goodbye,' she called lightly, disappearing around the corner.

She laughed to herself when she heard him mutter, "Minx."

* * *

Draco hadn't been lying when he told Hermione his work had already begun. Almost as soon as he had left Dumbledore's office last night, he had started mentally reviewing everything he knew about his classmates and their families. His father had always taught Draco the value of information, and it was one lesson Draco was grateful for.

He knew for instance, quite a bit about the state of the Ministry. His father was very close to Fudge, so naturally he got all the latest information about its inner workings. The minister was terribly paranoid now, refusing to believe in the Dark Lord's return and choosing to see enemies on every other side. This of course was all part of the Dark Lord's plan, and Draco had to admire the brilliance of it. _Let them destroy themselves first. He's just letting them do the work for him. Then when he's good and ready, all he'll have to do is walk through the doors and the Ministry will be his._

The Ministry was also in control of the _Daily Prophet_, which helped spread Fudge's madness even further. Draco was well aware of the effect the media could have on the masses. He need only look at Potter. Since the _Prophet_ had spent all summer declaring him a basket case and a liar, students were more wary of him than ever. _Serves the prat right,_ Draco thought to himself, not being able to contain his smirk. Almost immediately Naomi and Evanna's disapproving faces appeared in his mind, but this time he shooed them away. _What hasn't he done to stop this? Certainly not behave in class. He keeps letting his temper get the best of him and that only adds fuel to the fire._

Once Hermione had gone completely out of the library, Draco followed her. Class would be starting soon, and gossiping beforehand was an excellent place to get information. He could find out if Parkinson or Nott or any of the others had gotten any interesting news in the mail. His father sent him regular updates, usually before the _Prophet _printed it. Draco liked having that advantage.

History of Magic was their first class, and Draco slid into his usual seat near the back of the classroom, followed by Crabbe and Goyle. Nott arrived soon after with Pansy hanging off his arm. Nott sent him an arrogant smirk and glanced down at Pansy. Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes. _As if I would be jealous. He should be thanking me, it was me who sent Parkinson his way in the first place. Maybe I can use that._

"Got a new fan, have you, Nott?" he drawled.

"One of your previous admirers, I think," Nott sneered.

Wanting Nott to think he was somehow gaining something over him, Draco sneered back. "I'm much better off," he said haughtily. When Nott looked pleased with himself, Draco knew the deception had been accepted. He continued. "I could have any girl I wanted, just like that," he bragged, and had to force himself not to look to the front of the room where Hermione was currently poised in her seat, paying rapt attention to Professor Binns and taking notes.

"You had your chance, Draco," Pansy purred, slipping her arms around Nott's torso. "And Theo treats me so much better than you ever did."

Inside Draco was cheering. _Maybe I've finally rid myself of Parkinson's attentions after all! The pair of them seem happy enough._ "My loss," he said airily.

Nott leaned back in his chair, looking like cat who got the cream. "Indeed," he drawled, then sighed in disgust. "Ugh, this class is so boring I could almost lower myself to asking one of the Weasley's for a Skivving Snack Box. Did you hear about those? The Weasley's might be the worst kind of low-life blood traitors, but Fred and George have come up with some clever stuff. For Gryffindors."

Draco leaned forward, interested. _Now here's an opportunity._ "Would you?" he asked, curiosity coloring his voice.

"Why not? The candies actually work. And not for a bad price," Nott said with a shrug.

"A Gryffindor would never sell to a a Slytherin," Draco pointed out.

"I'd get a Hufflepuff to buy them for me. They're easy enough to bully, and I've got dirt of a few of them."

_That's interesting._ "So you would help support a Weasley, then? Or two of them, at least," Draco asked pointedly.

"If it helped me, yes," said Nott a bit defensively. "Who cares who's selling it? They wouldn't know they would be helping Slytherins anyway. I could get some private satisfaction out of that."

"I see," said Draco. "My father would never do it, but I say use what resources you can, especially if it spites your enemy." He watched as Nott relaxed minutely and smirked.

"Your father is a ponce, Malfoy," Nott said, but in a light tone. Draco knew better than to take offense. _Not that I am offended. Theo's right. My father is a ponce._

"Better than your rat of a father, Nott. Listens at doors, I hear."

"Yeah, to my own mother, no less," Nott said, his face souring. "He'd sell his own mother if he thought it would get him some higher rank."

"Would you?" Draco asked.

Nott hesitated for a moment, looking suddenly wary. "No," he said finally. "I have a bit of honor in me, and pride in my blood." He said this last bit with a haughty look.

"Oh Theo, you're so noble sometimes," Pansy simpered. Draco tried not to gag. _At least it's not me she's simpering over. Did I really preen over that before?_

"Of course, said Draco noncommitally.

"Oh come off it, Malfoy, you wouldn't sell your mother either. You adore her," Nott accused.

Draco relented. He had to. From the sounds of things, he could probably get Nott on his side if he needed to. "Of course I wouldn't," he said as if he was scandalized anyone would think anything else. Nott nodded, seemingly satisfied.

Their conversation dropped off then, and Draco contented himself with studying Hermione as she took notes. _She really gets into it, doesn't she? It's like she doesn't do anything by halves._ This line of thought lead to Draco wondering about what Hermione and the Potter-Weasley duo were planning. _Soul of discretion, hmm? We'll see about that._ Another Hogsmeade weekend was coming up, Draco wondered if there was a way he could spend some time with Hermione then and get some information out of her.

In no time at all the class was over and Draco was left to his thoughts and his cronies. Hermione, Potter and Weasley had disappeared almost immediately, heading to their next class. Draco scowled. Divination was next, and there would be no Hermione to pass the time. _Ah well. At least I can get a laugh out of Trelawney's next death prediction. Or maybe Umbridge will be there._ She was a downright foul woman, but always got a rise out of the Gryffindors. He frowned as he realized this no longer seemed to give him as much pleasure as it used to. _Merlin's pants, I'm going soft._ With that thought he made sure to trip a first year on his way to class. _I'm a Malfoy, after all. I've got an appearance to keep up._


End file.
